Science anxiety increased significantly over the semester for both female and male physics students, with no sex-by-time interaction on any anxiety measure¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2019 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2024: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Science anxiety was the only measure with a main effect of time, increasing significantly from pre- to post-instruction for both sexes. → Ariel A. Gonzalez 2019 q3 i? There was no significant interaction between participant sex and change in anxiety scores on any measure. → Ariel A. Gonzalez 2019 (2)

Evidence¶

Ariel A. Gonzalez 2019¶

Ariel A. Gonzalez, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Jessica E. Bartley, Timothy Hayes, Michael C. Riedel, Taylor Salo, Elsa I. Bravo, Rosalie Odean, Alina Nazareth, Robert W. Laird, Matthew T. Sutherland, Eric Brewe, Shannon M. Pruden and Angela R. Laird. (2019). Sex differences in brain correlates of STEM anxiety. npj Science of Learning 4:18. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0058-9

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Mixed-model ANOVA across the 15-week introductory physics semester found only science anxiety showed a main effect of time (F = 101.52, P < 0.001); marginal means rose for female students (M = 16.43 vs 6.41) and male students (M = 11.28 vs 3.15).

"Examining the marginal means for female students, science anxiety scores were signi ficantly increased at post-instruction (M = 16.43, SD = 10.76) compared with pre-instruction (M = 6.41, SD = 7.96). Similar results were observed for male students: science anxiety scores were signi ficantly increased at post-instruction (M = 11.28, SD = 9.563) compared with pre-instruction (M = 3.15, SD = 3.498)"

Ariel A. Gonzalez 2019 (2)¶

Ariel A. Gonzalez, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Jessica E. Bartley, Timothy Hayes, Michael C. Riedel, Taylor Salo, Elsa I. Bravo, Rosalie Odean, Alina Nazareth, Robert W. Laird, Matthew T. Sutherland, Eric Brewe, Shannon M. Pruden and Angela R. Laird. (2019). Sex differences in brain correlates of STEM anxiety. npj Science of Learning 4:18. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0058-9

q3 · i? · associational · r2

The same ANOVA models tested sex-by-time interaction for science, spatial, math, and clinical anxiety; none was significant, so the course did not differentially change anxiety by sex. Equivalence was not tested.

"There was no sig- nificant interaction between participant sex and change in anxiety scores on any measure."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Affect Regulation — outcome: instruction changes it
• Gender — moderator: an instructional effect differs by group

Related Claims¶

• Change in anxiety across the semester is negatively correlated with course grade and GPA for male students but not female students — related
• Longitudinal change in spatial anxiety tracks declining SN–CEN connectivity in female students, while change in math anxiety tracks declining SN–CEN connectivity in male students — related
• Female undergraduate physics students report higher science, spatial, math, and clinical anxiety than male students at both pre- and post-instruction — related
• Self-directed learning scores increase significantly across the three measurements over the semester — related