Effectiveness of different test-taking strategies on math performance, math anxiety, and working memory

Abstract

There are only a few studies that have investigated the effectiveness of expressive writing on elementary school students. The aim of this study was to investigate whether writing formulas, random thoughts, and worry-related thoughts are effective test-taking strategies to reduce math anxiety, lessen loading in working memory, and increase math achievement in young children. The study sample comprised 116 fifth-grade students from two mainstream primary schools in Hong Kong. Variables were measured in five pencil-and-paper tasks. Correlations and one-way between-subject ANOVA were administered. Findings showed that both test-taking strategies did not have an effect on math performance. However, writing worry-related thoughts had resulted in significantly better performance on visual-spatial task than writing math formulas and random thought. Students under the writing formula condition also had significantly reduction of math anxiety. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to developing intervention for elementary school students with math anxiety.