Understanding Mathematics Anxiety: The Relationships Between Fourth Grade Students\u27 Math Anxiety, Multiplication Fact Fluency, and Problem Solving Ability

The necessity of math skills is evident in everyday life, as well as job-specific tasks. Unfortunately, math anxiety has become a growing problem among people of all ages. Understanding more about potential indicators or predictors of math anxiety at a young age may help alleviate some of the impacts math anxiety has on mathematics achievement throughout life. This study considered the relationships between mathematics anxiety, multiplication fact fluency, math problem solving ability, math confidence, prior achievement, and demographic variables of fourth grade students. Fourth grade students at two suburban elementary schools in North Georgia were surveyed about their math anxiety using the Math Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). Math confidence was measured by a subscale of the Attitudes toward Math Inventory (ATMI). They also demonstrated their multiplication fact fluency and problem solving fluency using grade level monitoring probes. The results of the study were used to specifically determine if multiplication fact fluency has a predictive relationship with mathematics anxiety