Graus de ansiedade matemática em estudantes durante épocas de crises globais e sua relação com a motivação: uma análise de gênero

Abstract

Anxiety and motivation are significant factors in the school context, influencing both students' experiences and performance in a subject. During remote learning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of mathematical anxiety levels among SESI-SP students was observed, as well as the relationship between this anxiety and motivation to study mathematics. The aim of this research was to analyze the levels of mathematical anxiety at two distinct moments: at the beginning of the return to in-person classes (August 2021) and after the stabilization of in-person classes (2022). Data collection was carried out in SESI-SP schools located in the Mogi Guaçu and Araras regions, with the participation of 945 students from the 5th and 9th grades of elementary school (n=749) and the 3rd year of high school (n=196). Of the total participants, 453 were female and 492 were male. For the descriptive analyses, data from participants who responded to both phases of the survey were used. The final sample, after matching, consisted of 101 participants. The data indicated that individuals identifying as female exhibited significantly higher levels of math anxiety, particularly in the moderate, high, and extreme ranges, compared to male participants, even after the return to in-person classes. These findings were further influenced by the global crisis context of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing that women with moderate to high math anxiety were more significantly affected. The results of the second assessment did not support the hypothesis that math anxiety levels would decrease, instead revealing significant gender differences. Notably, the impact of extreme math anxiety was more pronounced among females, aligning with existing literature that highlights their greater likelihood of experiencing heightened anxiety in response to mathematics. This underscores the need to develop and implement educational strategies that are both individualized and sensitive to gender-related aspects, with a focus on emotional and motivational support. Emphasis should be placed on approaches grounded in trial-and-success methods rather than traditional trial-and-error models.