Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify possible individual differences effects on school mathematics performance and feelings of difficulty (FOD). Cognitive ability (general and domain-specific), affect (anxiety and achievement need), age, and gender were considered the main sources of individual differences. The effect of the testing experience (i.e., the repeated exposure to the testing situation) was also taken into account. Two hundred forty three subjects, of both genders, from 13 to 15 years of age were tested with three task batteries: the cognitive ability, the affective battery and the school mathematics battery. Ratings of the difficulty of each of the mathematics items were also collected. A second testing of the affective battery, mathematical tasks and FOD was effected one year after the first. A series of path analyses and ANOVAs were performed on the data. It was found that ability directly influenced performance whereas both ability and affect influenced FOD. Feelings of difficulty were also influenced by performance. Age differentiated FOD only at the 2nd testing. Gender interacted with both person and task characteristics and had an effect on FOD but not on performance.
Résumé
Le but de cette recherche était d'identifier d'éventuels effets des différences individuelles sur les performances scolaires en mathématiques ainsi que sur le sentiment de difficulté (SDD). Les principales sources de différences individuelles prises en considération étaient: l'aptitude cognitive (générale et propre au domaine), les affects (anxiété et besoin de réussite), l'âge et le sexe. L'effet de l'expérience elle-même (i.e., la participation répétée à la situation expérimentale) a également été pris en compte. 243 sujets des deux sexes, âgés de 13 à 15 ans, furent soumis à trois séries cle tests: tests d'aptitude cognitive, tests affectifs et tests de connaissances scolaires en mathématiques. Un jugement sur la difficulté (SDD) de chacune des tâches mathématiques était également recueilli. Une deuxième application de la batterie des tests affectifs, des tests de connaissances en mathématiques et du SDD a eu lieu un an après la première. Une série d'analyses de parcours ainsi que d'analyses de variance ont permis de constater que l'aptitude cognitive influence directement la performance, alors que l'aptitude et les affects influencent ensemble le sentiment de difficulté. Cette dernière variable est également influencée par la performance. L'influence de l'âge sur le SDD n'est apparu qu'à la deuxième passation. Le sexe, en interaction avec les caractéristiques des personnes et des tâches, a un effet sur le SDD mais pas sur les performances.
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This research was supported by Aristotle University research grants.
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Efklides, A., Papadaki, M., Papantoniou, G. et al. Individual differences in school mathematics performance and feelings of difficulty: The effects of cognitive ability, affect, age, and gender. Eur J Psychol Educ 14, 57–69 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173111
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173111