Mathematics anxiety is a problem for many secondary school students, and the accompanying worries and unpleasant affective reactions threaten their well-being. An extensive body of studies has found a negative correlation between anxiety and concurrent mathematics achievement. However, prior research on their longitudinal interplay has yielded inconsistent results. Furthermore, the question of how teachers’ instructional behavior could reduce anxiety and its negative associations remains open. In this regard, especially teacher sensitivity, that is, teachers’ awareness of students’ academic difficulties and emotional needs, could be a resource. Therefore, the present study drew on longitudinal data from N = 1,559 secondary school students who completed standardized mathematics achievement tests, reported on their mathematics anxiety in terms of worry and emotionality, and on their mathematics teachers’ sensitivity in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. To obtain a comprehensive picture, parents also rated their children’s anxiety, and report card grades were included as an additional indicator of achievement. The results of latent cross-lagged panel analyses showed reciprocal links between students’ mathematics anxiety, in particular their worry, and achievement. Notably, the results were consistent regardless of whether students or parents reported on anxiety. Regarding the question of how to intervene in this process, we found some evidence that teacher sensitivity was associated with decreases in students’ mathematics anxiety. This study emphasizes that mathematics anxiety is an important factor for secondary school students’ educational pathways and that teacher sensitivity has the possibility to intervene in this process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

中文翻译：

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学生数学焦虑与成就之间的相互关联：教师的敏感性会有所作为吗？

数学焦虑是许多中学生的问题，伴随而来的担忧和不愉快的情感反应威胁着他们的幸福。大量研究发现焦虑与并发数学成绩之间存在负相关。然而，先前对其纵向相互作用的研究产生了不一致的结果。此外，教师的教学行为如何减少焦虑及其负面关联的问题仍然悬而未决。在这方面，尤其是教师敏感性，即教师对学生学业困难和情感需求的认识，可以成为一种资源。因此，本研究利用了 N = 1,559 名完成标准化数学成绩测试的中学生的纵向数据，报告了他们在担心和情绪方面的数学焦虑，以及他们的数学老师在 5、6 和 7 年级的敏感性。为了全面了解情况，父母还对孩子的焦虑程度进行了评分，并将成绩单成绩作为额外的成就指标。潜在交叉滞后面板分析的结果显示学生的数学焦虑，尤其是他们的担忧与成就之间存在相互联系。值得注意的是，无论学生或家长是否报告焦虑，结果都是一致的。关于如何干预这一过程的问题，我们发现一些证据表明教师的敏感性与学生数学焦虑的减少有关。本研究强调数学焦虑是影响中学生教育路径的重要因素，教师的敏感性有可能干预这一过程。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2020 APA，保留所有权利）