Investigation of the relationship between 8th grade students' perceptions of mathematics self efficacy and their motivation and anxiety levels

In this research, it was aimed to examine the relationships between the mathematics self efficacy perceptions of 8th grade students and their motivation and anxiety levels. In addition, students' mathematics self eficacy, motivation and anxiety levels were examined according to the variables of gender, parental education level, family income level, participation in mathematics courses at school and previous semester mathematics grades. Relational survey model was used in the research. The population of the research consists of 9811 8th grade students studying in 64 public schools in Batman in the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample of the study consists of 550 students in 10 secondary schools randomly selected from among 9811 students. Personal Information Form, Mathematics Self Efficacy Scale, Motivation Scale Towards Mathematics Lesson and Mathematics Anxiety Scale were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), pearson product-moment correlation analysis were used. The relationship between mathematics self efficacy perception, motivation towards mathematics lesson and mathematics anxiety were calculated by path analysis. As a result of the research, a positive and moderately significant relationship was found between students' perceptions of mathematics self efficacy and their motivation towards mathematics course. A negative and moderately significant relationship was found between mathematics self efficacy perceptions and mathematics anxiety. A negative and moderately significant relationship was found between their motivation towards mathematics lesson and their mathematics anxiety. In addition, students' perceptions of mathematics self efficacy and mathematics anxiety differed significantly according to gender, participation in mathematics courses at school and previous semester mathematics grades. However, students' perceptions of mathematics self efficacy and mathematics anxiety did not differ significantly according to parental education level and family income level variables. While the motivation of the students for the mathematics lesson differed significantly according to the variables of mother's education level, participation in the mathematics course at school and previous semester mathematics report grade, it did not differ significantly according to the variables of gender, father's education level and family income level. According to the results of the path analysis, as the mathematics self efficacy perceptions of the 8th grade students increase, the motivation of the students towards the mathematics lesson increases and their mathematics anxiety level decreases. Keywords: Motivation towards mathematics lesson, Mathematics self efficacy perception, Mathematics anxiety, Secondary school students.