Social support and mathematics anxiety: the mediating role of learning engagement

Abstract

Mathematics anxiety is a common emotional condition among students, but few studies have explored the mediating mechanisms that could account for the impact of social support on this anxiety. To address this gap, we examined the mechanism of the impact of social support on mathematics anxiety with a sample of 1,191 high school students in Inner Mongolia by looking at the role of learning engagement as a mediator. The students completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Student Engagement in School Orientation Questionnaire, and the Mathematics Anxiety Questionnaire for Children. The results showed that learning engagement mediated the relationship between social support and mathematics anxiety. These findings provide theoretical support for the use of interventions related to learning engagement to reduce the mathematics anxiety of high school students.