Explanation of mathematics anxiety of middle school students through mathematics self-concepts

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first one is to examine the possible effects of socio-demographic (e.g., gender) and academic variables (e.g., grade and mathematics achievement level) on students' mathematics self-concepts and mathematics anxiety. The second is to determine the relationship between students' mathematics self-concepts and mathematics anxiety. In the study, survey, causal comparison, and correlational research models were used among quantitative research models. The sample is 705 middle school students (from 5th to 8th grade levels). Data were collected with the "Mathematics Self-Concept Scale" and "Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Elementary Form". The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, analysis of variance, correlation, and simple linear regression analysis. According to the findings of the study, students' mathematics self-concept was high while their mathematics anxiety levels were low. The results of the study show that both mathematics self-concepts and mathematics anxiety levels of the students differed significantly in favor of male students. Another result of the study is that both mathematics self-concepts and mathematics anxiety levels of students differ significantly according to the grade level variable. In the study, it was concluded that as students' mathematics achievement levels increased, their mathematics self-concept increased, and conversely, as their mathematics achievement levels increased, their mathematics anxiety decreased. In the study, it was found that there was a significant, negative and significant relationship between students' mathematics self-concept and mathematics anxiety. Moreover, regression analysis showed that mathematics self-concept was a predictor of mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-concept explained 27% of the variance in mathematics anxiety. In the light of the results of the study, recommendations for future research and practitioners are presented.