Students’ Math Self-Concept, Math Anxiety, and Math Achievement: The Moderating Role of Teacher Support

This study explored the moderating roles of teacher instrumental and emotional support on the association between students’ math anxiety/math self-concept and math achievement. Participants included 21,544 Canadian students aged 15 years (10,943 girls) who participated in the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment. Results indicated that instrument support and emotional support were positively associated with math achievement. A significant moderation effect was evident between instrumental support and math anxiety; higher levels of instrumental support were associated with higher math achievement at low levels of math anxiety. Emotional support did not interact with math anxiety or math self-concept. The present findings highlight the importance to consider not only individual factors (i.e., math anxiety and math self-concept) but also the role of teacher support in supporting math achievement.