An Anxious Teacher: Math Teaching Anxiety and Student Achievement

Abstract

This study combines state-level teacher survey data with administrative records for Indiana students in Grades 3 through 8 to examine the association between math teaching anxiety and student math achievement. We find that students from underserved backgrounds, including those from low-income, Black, and Hispanic families, are more likely to be assigned to teachers who report higher levels of math teaching anxiety. Student fixed-effects models show that math teaching anxiety is associated with lower student math achievement, with stronger negative associations for female students, English language learners, lower-achieving students, and Hispanic and Asian students. These findings point to unequal access to high-quality teachers and suggest that certain groups of students are more vulnerable to math teaching anxiety.