Mediating factors of Statistics Anxiety in university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis concerning statistics anxiety in university students. Following our pre-registration, we searched on databases such as PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, and Web of Science. After the exclusions, 40 studies were selected for systematic review and 17 for a series of six meta-analyses. Results confirmed the multidimensionality of statistics anxiety in university students. The impact of sociodemographic factors remains uncertain since they are underexplored. Overall, learning strategies, procrastination, self-efficacy, and self-awareness were strong predictors of SA.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ATTITUDES OF SCIENCE AND NON-SCIENCE STUDENTS TOWARDS STATISTICS: THE ROLE OF STATISTIC ANXIETY

Statistics is an essential part of the curriculum in Nigerias education landscape taught in the science and non-science classrooms. However, there has been a growing concern about the students attitudes towards statistics across every level. The present study aimed to determine whether there would be a difference between science and non-science students attitudes towards statistics and whether statistics anxiety contributes to the variations in students attitudes towards statistics in the tertiary education level in Nigeria. A convenience sample of two hundred and twenty-two first-year students pooled from three public tertiary institutions in the Kogi State of Nigeria participated in the study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The participants completed a self-report measure of Survey of Attitude toward Statistics (SATS-36),initially developed by Schau (2003), and a modified version of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (SARS) developed initially by Baloǧlu (2002). An independent t-test performed on the data established a statistically significant difference in the attitudes of the science and non-science students towards statistics at MD = 1.78, t (200) = 13.632, P< = .05. The result of a regression analysis performed on the data revealed that statistics anxiety positively predicted attitudes towards anxiety. It was concluded that the variation between the attitude of science students and non-science students towards the teaching and learning of statistics is moderated by statistics anxiety. The study recommends that robust attitude change strategies be adopted to reshape the attitudes of the non-science students towards statistics.

1287Grief and mourning and its relation with anxiety and depressive symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic

Background During these unprecedented times, individuals who experience the sudden death of a family member or friend, already miss the anticipatory grief and are now also prevented from a proper farewell. This study aimed to address prolonged grief disorder since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Methods A virtual snowball sampling survey was disseminated through social networking channels. The study enrolled participants from general resident population in Portugal with ≥18 years. Characteristics of the sample were summarized using descriptive statistics. Anxiety and depression symptoms are described by absolute and relative frequencies and compared through the Chi-square test. Results A total of 929 participants completed the survey; 17.9% (n = 166) have lost someone since the beginning of the pandemic, making our final sample. Most were female (66.9%); median age of 35 years and 70.5% had a high education degree. Participants who had lost a grandparent consisted of 28.3% of the sample, father and/or mother 9.0%, and a friend 22.3%. We found a prevalence of 30.7% of anxiety symptoms and 10.2% of depression symptoms (p = 0.030). Also, 16.8% have had a high score on the PG13, which show that these people can mourned for longer periods. Conclusions Paying the last tribute to a loved one is a mental health gesture that allows individuals to make amends and reconcile with life. Key messages The need arises to give timely attention to the psychological consequences due to the COVID-19 pandemic concerning grief

Profiling The College Students’ Anxiety in Statistics Lectures

Statistics has been a compulsory subject in many study programs, considering its importance as a provision for university students to conduct research, which is one of the requirements for graduation. However, statistics anxiety, which hurts statistical competence, is a common phenomenon in students. This study, first, aims to describe students' statistics anxiety. It also wants to examine whether gender differences are also a cause of this statistics anxiety. The study took 167 samples of students at a university in Central Java, Indonesia. They were selected by simple random sampling. The statistics anxiety scale has been tested for its validity and reliability and becomes the instrument in this study. This study found that the majority of students' statistics anxiety was on average at a moderate level. It also found no difference in statistics anxiety based on gender, seen either as a whole or in terms of each domain. Further related research is expected to examine statistics anxiety with a qualitative approach or mixed methods to describe its nature and causes in more depth, as well as efforts that can be made to reduce such anxiety. Keywords: statistics anxiety, gender, interpretation

Application of Pop Quiz Method in Teaching Biostatistics to Postgraduate Midwifery Students and Its Effect on Their Statistics Anxiety, Test Anxiety and Academic Achievement: A QuasiExperimental Study with Control Group

Introduction: Anxiety in students is a challenge of educational systems. The present study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of Pop Quiz (unannounced formative tests) in teaching biostatistics to postgraduate midwifery students and its effects on their statistics anxiety, test anxiety and statistical analysis skills. Methods: This quasi-experimental study conducted during the first semester of the academic year of 2019-2020 in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. The MSc midwifery students were divided into two separate classes. One of the classes was randomly selected for educational intervention (Pop Quiz). Teaching via the lecture method considered as control method. Test anxiety and statistical anxiety questionnaires were completed by the students in both groups before the educational intervention, during and at the end of semester. The final exam score considered as the statistical skills score. Data were analyzed in SPSS 22 using Fisher's exact test and GEE model. Results: Thirty eight MSC midwifery students (12 in intervention group and 26 in comparison group) were recruited in this study. The mean and standard deviation of the exam score of students in lecture and Pop Quiz groups were respectively 14.43 ± 3.80 and 15.95 ± 2.79 (P=0.182). The patterns of change in test anxiety score differed significantly over time between the two teaching methods (P = 0.003). Although, there was a decreasing trend in mean score of statistics anxiety scores in Pop Quiz group in comparison with lecture based group, but there were not statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Applying Pop Quiz to teaching biostatistics reduces test anxiety and statistics anxiety and increases statistical analysis skills in postgraduate midwifery students.

Investigation of the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale Psychometric Properties with a Sample of Greek Students

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) for a Greek student population. The STARS was administered to 890 Tertiary Education students in two Greek universities. It was performed a cross-validation study to examine the factorial structure and the psychometric properties with a series of confirmatory factor analyses. Results revealed a correlated six first-order factor model which provided the best fit to the data compared to a six-factor model with one superordinate factor. All six factors of the Greek version of the STARS presented convergent and discriminant validity and were internally consistent. Implications and limitations are discussed.

PRIOR MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE, STATISTICS ANXIETY, SELF-EFFICACY AND EXPECTATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE IN STATISTICS: A SURVEY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENTS IN A CARIBBEAN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The objectives of this study were to examine (i) the expectation for performance (EFP) in statistics of first year university students, (ii) the relative effect of previous mathematics performance (PMP), perceived statistical self-efficacy (SSE), and statistics anxiety (SA) for understanding these expectations, and (iii) whether students’ EFP scores differ based on sex and academic discipline. Findings point to average to high EFP in statistics, with no differences in these levels based on sex or academic discipline. PMP had little effect on students’ EFP, but, moderate effects on their levels of SA. While SSE positively affected both students’ SA, this measure produced a negative effect on their EFP in statistics. Both SSE and SA negatively affected students’ EFP in statistics, but with minimally higher levels for the latter.