ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Teacher Education
Modeling Students' Interest in Mathematics: The Role of Self-Efficacy, Mathematics Anxiety, Cultural and Societal Perceptions, and Relevance of Mathematics
Provisionally accepted
- Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana
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Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to determine the direct effect of self-efficacy (SEE), mathematics anxiety (MAA), cultural and societal perceptions (CSP), and relevance of mathematics (REM) on students' interest in mathematics (SIM). Design/methodology/approach-The study used a descriptive survey, which included 300 samples of students in colleges of education in the Ashanti region in Ghana selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Preliminary analyses, including descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, tests for reliability (Cronbach's alpha), confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were estimated before the main model estimation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was performed using Amos (version 26) to test the study's hypotheses. Findings-The study concluded that SEE, CSP, and REM all had positive and significant effects on SIM. MAA however, had insignificant negative effect on SIM. Originality/value–This study adopts a comprehensive theoretical modeling approach to explore the multifaceted factors influencing students' interest in mathematics. Rather than examining these variables in isolation, this study is the first to model the complex relationships between self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, cultural and societal perceptions, and the relevance of mathematics concurrently. The primary value of this work is the creation of a validated, replicable measurement tool that allows for the empirical testing of this multifaceted theory, providing a foundation for more effective and targeted educational interventions.
Keywords: Cultural and Societal Perceptions, Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, relevance of mathematics, self-efficacy, structural equation modelling, Students' interest
Received: 26 Oct 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 BOADU, BOATENG and OBENG. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: SAMUEL KWAKU BOADU
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