From anxiety to engagement: Mathematical myths as a mediator between mathematics anxiety and mathematics engagement

This study examined how mathematics anxiety affects students’ engagement in mathematics and whether mathematical myths help explain this relationship among Information Technology Education students in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were collected from 408 Information Technology Education students at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development through convenience sampling. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling to test the direct and indirect relationships among mathematics anxiety, mathematical myths, and mathematics engagement. The findings showed that students with higher mathematics anxiety were more likely to believe in mathematical myths (β = 0.569, p < 0.001) and were less engaged in mathematics (β = −0.262, p < 0.001). Mathematical myths also reduced students’ engagement in mathematics (β = −0.424, p < 0.001). The results further revealed that mathematical myths partially mediated the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics engagement (β = −0.225, p < 0.001), suggesting that anxiety may lead students to develop false beliefs about mathematics, which then weakens their participation and interest. The study provides evidence from Ghana and suggests that helping students overcome mathematics anxiety and correcting negative beliefs about mathematics may improve their engagement and better prepare them for mathematics-related demands in Information Technology Education.