The effect of mother's and father's math anxiety on the student's math anxiety and achievement

This study has two main objectives. The first objective is to examine whether there is a significant difference in students' math anxiety and achievement based on their gender, grade level, parents' educational status, and who they seek help from while doing their homework. The second objective is to evaluate the direct and/or indirect effects of parents' math anxiety on students' math anxiety and achievement through a structural model. A correlational survey design was used as a quantitative research method in the study. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 372 students and their parents selected from five public and one private schools in a medium-sized provincial center in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey using appropriate sampling methods. Data were collected using the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Parents, the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Students, and Mathematics Achievement Scores. The obtained data were analyzed using the Independent Samples T-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and Structural Equation Modeling. According to the research results, there is no significant difference in students' mathematics achievement levels based on gender and grade level. However, girls' mathematics anxiety levels were found to be significantly higher than those of boys. While there was a significant difference in students' mathematics achievement scores based on their parents' education levels, no significant difference was observed in their anxiety levels. Students' math achievement scores differed significantly depending on the source of help received while doing homework, but no significant difference was found in their anxiety levels. It was determined that as parents' educational levels increased, their own math anxiety levels decreased. In addition, mothers' math anxiety was found to be significantly higher than fathers'. A negative and moderately significant relationship was found between students' math anxiety and their achievement. It was observed that parents' math anxiety did not directly affect students' math achievement but indirectly affected it in a negative way through the student's math anxiety. This study only examined the effects of mothers and fathers. Future research is recommended to use structural models to examine how environmental factors like siblings and peers influence students' math anxiety.