Thesis Presentation Slides
Parental Influence on
Student Math Success
Perceptions of Parent Attitudes and Student Engagement
Amelie Ariste & Kayla Borozny
May 2026
The Problem
"Math anxiety continues to be a roadblock to student success, causing frustration and avoidance behaviors."
- Fuels negative self-talk
- Impacts academic achievement
- Rooted in home/school environments
Research Question
To what extent are 9th - 12th grade students' perceptions of their parents’ math attitudes associated with their own levels of math anxiety, classroom engagement, and emotions?
Theoretical Foundations
Fennema-Sherman (1976)
Focuses on familial influence through Mother and Father scales.
Key Variable
Intergenerational influence on math attitudes.
Control-Value Theory (2023)
Reinhard Pekrun's taxonomy of achievement and emotion.
Key Variable
Achievement emotions (Enjoyment, Anxiety, Boredom).
Methodology Overview
Participants
High-need, Title I schools in Hempstead and Queens.
n = 68 (Quantitative)
n = 77 (Qualitative)
Instruments
4 Likert-type surveys (1-4 scale) adapted from:
- • Fennema-Sherman Scale
- • Math Anxiety Rating Scale
- • AEQ-R (Pekrun)
Data Analysis
Quantitative: Pearson's Correlation (two-tailed).
Qualitative: Thematic coding of 4 open-ended items.
Analysis of Results
| Survey Metric | High (%) | Moderate (%) | Low (%) |
|---|
| Perceived Parent Involvement | 41% | 59% | 0% |
| Student Math Grit/Attitudes | 29% | 65% | 6% |
| Student Math Anxiety | 18% | 48% | 34% |
| Self-Efficacy & Engagement | 22% | 62% | 15% |
n = 68 students across two high school settings.
Correlation Findings
Grit &
Mindset
r = 0.47
Significantly associated. Parental influence strongly linked to student grit.
REJECT NULL
Student
Anxiety
r = -0.20
No statistically significant relationship found for this group.
ACCEPT NULL
Emotions &
Engagement
r = 0.36
Significantly associated. Parent attitudes impact intrinsic motivation.
REJECT NULL
Critical r value = ±0.2387 (α = 0.05, df = 66)
Parent Attitudes (Survey 1)
Qualitative Analysis
Positive (57%)
"My father especially loves mathematics... he will encourage me to pass and he ensures i pass."
"They try their best to explain... still encourage me to keep trying."
Negative (23%)
"It’s confusing for them... and you need to only know a minimum of it."
"They say they do not know... they also say I should know because I'm the one in school."
Neutral (31%)
"They don't really pay much attention to it unless they are doing something with math."
"I never ask them for homework simply because I feel like I can do it myself."
*Note: Percentages exceed 100% as student responses were frequently coded into multiple categories.
Study Habits (Survey 2)
Coding Categories
Reading & Reviewing (49%)
"I tend to memorize everything on the paper... so that when the day of the exam comes I can recall what I saw."
Practice (32%) & Seeking Help (16%)
"I make notes and go on chat gpt and i ask it 'make me math problems about quadratics' that i can solve and correct me."
Do Not Study (14%)
"i dont study because i feel like it doesn't help me at all."
Other (21%)
Vague responses or descriptions that did not specify a method (e.g., "by studying a lot").
*Responses often spanned multiple study modalities.
Anxiety Experiences (Survey 3)
Student Mental Models
Top Codes
40% Performance Anxiety / Self-Doubt
30% Physical / Emotional Symptoms
19% Cognitive Overload / Confusion
Student Quote:
"It was the day before the regents exam... Lots of thoughts about how I didn't feel ready enough or how I was gonna fail."
Teacher Impact:
"My teacher gave an exit ticket and nobody could leave... i felt embarrassed cause i was the only one that didn't do it."
Interpretation of Results
The study confirmed that parent influence is significantly associated with students' emotions and engagement.
However, the lack of correlation with math anxiety suggests a complex moderating variable.
Why the mismatch?
- Self-Regulation: Students may monitor and manage their own emotions (Zhou, 2025).
- Peer/Teacher Factors: External pressures from the classroom environment might outweigh home factors for anxiety specifically.
Study Limitations
Procedural Interruptions
Data collection was hindered by unannounced coach visits, field trips, and a soft lock down during Survey 4, which impacted n-count.
Student Effort & Honesty
Some items were answered without effort (coded as 'other'). Students may have feared self-reports would impact their grades despite anonymity.
Environmental Diversity
Variable home lives: many parents work long hours or face language barriers, limiting their ability to engage even if they have positive attitudes.
Time Constraints
Limited to a two-week window. A longer duration would have allowed for make-up surveys for absent students.
Conclusions
- 01 Parental perceptions significantly shape student mindset and grit.
- 02 Mismatch found with Levine & Pantoja (2021) regarding anxiety correlation.
- 03 Student achievement is a holistic family belief system matter.
Key Takeaway
"As a parent’s math anxiety increases they are more likely to engage in controlled-supportive homework help, which negatively affects learning."
Moving parents toward autonomy-supportive help is critical for reducing long-term anxiety.
Future Directions
Longitudinal Tracking
Follow students from early elementary through high school to observe how the influence of parental attitudes evolves over time.
Impact Hierarchy
Investigate what takes more of an effect from parental attitudes: student engagement, anxiety, or attitudes?
Interview Integration
Deepen qualitative data with interviews for students reporting high parental involvement but high math anxiety to understand environmental stressors.
"Tracking development could identify critical points in education where parental influence becomes a barrier or a catalyst."
Thesis Abstract Document
The Association of Students’ Perception of Parent Math Attitudes with Students’ Own Math Anxiety, Classroom Engagement, and Emotion
Amelie Ariste & Kayla Borozny
Master of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education • Queens College of CUNY
Abstract
This study investigates the association between 9th-12th grade students' perceptions of their parents’ mathematics attitudes and the students' own levels of math anxiety, classroom engagement, and achievement emotions. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 68 high school students in high-need, Title I settings via four Likert-type surveys and qualitative open-ended items. Quantitative analysis using Pearson’s correlation revealed that perceived parental involvement is significantly associated with student math grit (r = 0.47) and intrinsic motivation (r = 0.36). However, contrary to initial hypotheses, no statistically significant relationship was found between perceived parent attitudes and student math anxiety (r = -0.20). Qualitative findings from Survey 3 highlighted a dominance of performance-based anxiety (40%), while Survey 2 data revealed students' study habits—specifically a heavy reliance on memorization (49%) and emerging AI utilization—reflect the cognitive embodiment of parental expectations. These results align with the Fennema-Sherman intergenerational influence model and Pekrun’s Control-Value Theory, indicating that while parental perceptions act as powerful catalysts for mindset and grit, student self-regulation provides a vital emotional buffer in high-stress academic environments.
Correlation Summary (r values)
| Variable Pair (with Parent Attitude) | Pearson's r | Significance |
|---|
| Student Math Grit & Attitudes | 0.47 | Significant |
| Student Intrinsic Motivation | 0.36 | Significant |
| Student Math Anxiety | -0.20 | Not Significant |
Keywords: Math Anxiety, Parental Perception, Student Engagement, Achievement Emotions, Grit, Fennema-Sherman Scale, Control-Value Theory.
Thesis Manuscript • May 2026 Submission • New York City
