The Mediating Role of Math Anxiety to the Relationship of Music Exposure and Math Fluency Among Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of Math Anxiety in the relationship between Music Exposure and Math Fluency among junior high school students. The researchers aimed to determine whether engagement with music could influence students’ anxiety toward mathematics and whether this change in anxiety could affect their math fluency. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze both the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. Data were collected from 118 respondents using standardized questionnaires to measure Music Exposure significantly reduced Math Anxiety among students, suggesting that music may help create a more relaxed emotional state when dealing with mathematics-related tasks. However, despite this reduction in anxiety, Music exposure did not show a significant direct effect on Math Fluency. In addition, the indirect effect of Music Exposure on Math Fluency through Math Anxiety was not significant, indicating that although music can reduce anxiety, this change does not necessarily translate into improved mathematical performance. The proposed model explained only a small portion of the variance in Math Fluency (R2 = 0.136), suggesting that other factors may have a stronger influence on students’ performance in mathematics. Variables such as attention, motivation, prior knowledge, and cognitive ability may play more important roles in determining students’ math fluency. Overall, the findings highlight that music may function more as an emotional support tool that helps reduce anxiety in learning environments rather than as a direct method for improving mathematical fluency.