Mathematical metacognition statistically mediates the association between mathematics anxiety and children's word problem solving after controlling for IQ¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In a fully mediated SEM model, mathematics anxiety negatively predicted metacognition (ß = -0.51, p = .001) and metacognition positively predicted word problem solving (ß = 0.15, p = .02), with a significant bootstrapped indirect effect of -0.08 (95% CI -0.14 to -0.012). → Lai Y 2015

Evidence¶

Lai Y 2015¶

Lai Y, Zhu X, Chen Y, Li Y (2015) Effects of Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematical Metacognition on Word Problem Solving in Children with and without Mathematical Learning Difficulties. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0130570. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130570

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Structural equation modeling of data from 224 fourth-grade children, controlling for non-verbal IQ. The fully mediated model fit well and the bootstrapped indirect effect was "-0.08", with 95% CI "-0.14 to -0.012" not overlapping zero. The data are cross-sectional and nothing was manipulated; the authors state that the model cannot establish a causal relationship and that longitudinal data would be needed for one.

"The results of Model 2 revealed a significant negative path from the latent MA variable to the latent variable Metacognition (ß = -0.51, p = .001) and a significant positive path from Metacognition to WPS (ß = 0.15, p = .02)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Academic Anxiety — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Affect Regulation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Self-Regulation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Modeling mathematics anxiety as the mediator of metacognition's effect on word problem solving yields no mediating effect — related
• The direct path from mathematics anxiety to word problem solving is non-significant once metacognition is modeled — related
• Self-image and learning mathematics anxiety, but not other metacognition dimensions or evaluation anxiety, predict mathematics achievement after controlling for IQ — related
• Working memory fully mediates the effects of math anxiety and attention on children's non-verbal Numerical Operations — related
• Math anxiety has both a direct negative effect and a WM-mediated indirect effect on children's verbal Math Reasoning, but only an indirect effect on Numerical Operations — related
• In a cross-sectional model, attention problems relate to both non-verbal and verbal math performance only indirectly, through working memory (and, for MR, reading) — related
• Children showing higher metacognition and self-regulation felt the task would be difficult but that they would be able to solve it — related
• Most included studies report a significant positive metacognition–math association, with some null and mixed findings — related
• Mathematics anxiety shows mixed relations to algebraic thinking across studies — related
• Text-structure knowledge in passages and word problems mediates acquisition and cross-domain transfer effects — related