Student-Teacher Interactions and Math Anxiety as Determinants of Mathematics Performance in High School Students

Abstract

One of the common problems that Grade 8 students experience is their anxiety towards the subject math. This can potentially hinder their performance at school. While a teacher’s nurturing relationship with the student can improve academic performance, it is still unclear on how math anxiety and student-teacher relationship impact the learning outcomes of students at Abellana National High School. This research assessed the level of math anxiety, student-teacher relationship, and academic performance in Mathematics among the Grade 8 students of Abellana National High School for the school year 2024–2025 as the basis for an action plan using a descriptive-correlational research design. A total of 241 students participated in the study, selected through simple random sampling. The data were treated using frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, and Pearson’s r. The results revealed that most students exhibited moderate levels of math anxiety, particularly before examinations and during algebraic problem-solving. The student-teacher relationship was rated as very satisfactory, showing that teachers were perceived as supportive and encouraging. The academic performance of the students was mainly within the satisfactory and very satisfactory range. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between math anxiety and academic performance, nor between the student-teacher relationship and academic performance. It is concluded that math anxiety and student-teacher relationships do not have a significant impact on students’ math performance. Hence, it is recommended that the action plan crafted will be utilized.