Open research questions in Education, Achievement, and Giftedness

What the literature leaves open

• Routledge. (hlm. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410601032 Zimmerman, B. J., & Campillo, M. (2003). Motivating self-regulated problem solvers. Dalam J. E. Davidson & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The psychology of problem solving (hlm. 233–262). Cambridge University Press. academic 1–36). Zimmerman, B. J., & Moylan, A. R. (2009). Selfregulation: Where metacognition and motivation intersect. Dalam D. J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky, & A. C. Graesser (Eds.), Handbook of metacognition in education (hlm. 299–315). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203876428 Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (Eds.). (2013). academic perspectives.

  The Mediating Role of Micro- and Meso-Level Factors in the Relationship between University Students' Self-Regulated Learning and Problem-Solving Skills · 2026 · DOI

• Psychological flexibility (PF), the ability to stay open to difficult thoughts and feelings while pursuing meaningful goals, and psychological inflexibility (PI), involving avoidance and self-criticism, represent adaptive and maladaptive regulation styles that remain understudied in adolescence.

  Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi‐high‐stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control‐value theory · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made to address academic procrastination and reduce mathematics anxiety among Grade 10 students at Claro M. Recto High School: 1. Implement Structured Study Programs: Schools should introduce structured study programs that promote regular review of the subject matter. Encouraging students to review mathematics consistently will help them feel more prepared, reducing anxiety related to the subject. 2. Promote Time Management Workshops: Offering workshops focused on time management can help students organize their academic tasks and reduce procrastination. Effective time management will allow students to balance their study schedules, minimize stress, and manage anxiety better. 3. Encourage Peer Support and Mentoring: Establish peer mentoring and study group initiatives. Peer influence plays a significant role in reducing anxiety, and positive peer support can help students stay motivated and manage stress more effectively. 4. Integrate Relaxation and Stress Management Techniques: Schools should implement programs that teach students stress management and relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or deep breathing exercises. These practices can help students cope with academic pressures and manage their anxiety. 5. Increase Parental Engagement: Since family problems were found to contribute to mathematics anxiety, schools should engage parents in the educational process. Regular parent-teacher meetings and workshops on how parents can support their children academically and emotionally can help create a more supportive home environment. 6. Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Promote healthy habits such as adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and regular physical activity. These habits are crucial for students' mental and physical well-being, which in turn can reduce mathematics anxiety and improve academic performance. Address the Role of Technology in Procrastination: While computer gaming was shown to be a distraction, schools can guide students to use technology for educational purposes. Introducing educational apps and learning platforms can turn technology into a tool for academic improvement rather than procrastination. Lava, O. 61 7. Provide Counseling and Psychological Support: Given the influence of frustration and low self-esteem on anxiety, schools should provide counseling services. Offering students, a safe space to discuss their challenges and receive guidance on how to manage stress and build confidence will help improve their emotional well-being.

  Impact of Academic Procrastination and Study Habits on Expressed Mathematics Anxiety of Grade 10 Students of Claro M. Recto High School · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should examine these relationships within larger, more diverse samples, employ longitudinal designs to assess causal mechanisms, and investigate mediating and moderating variables such as academic self-efficacy, teacher support, and classroom climate to further elucidate the pathways through which EI and motivation shape mathematics achievement.

  Emotional Intelligence and Motivation as Predictors of Lower Secondary School Students’ Mathematics Achievement · 2026 · DOI

• The main purpose of this study was to compile a questionnaire for students' learning motivation towards mathematics (QSLMM) for teachers to use in teaching. The following are the conclusions and suggestions based on the research findings: 5.1 Conclusions In order to help teachers use the questionnaire to quickly understand students’ motivation for learning mathematics, the researchers reviewed the literature that affects mathematics learning motivation and summarised the factors of mathematics learning motivation in this study. The factors of mathematics learning motivation in this study include learning environment, self-efficacy, self-regulation, intrinsic value, and test anxiety. There were 86 questions in the revised initial questionnaire. After the pilot survey and examination of reliability and validity, the number of questions/items for “learning environment” was reduced from the original 13 to 7; for ”test anxiety”, 13 to 6; for “intrinsic value”, 19 to 4; for “self-efficacy”, 17 to 7; for “self-regulation”, 18 to 4; and reversed questions from 6 to 2; in total of five factors with 30 questions in the final questionnaire. In the internal consistency reliability test of the total scale and each subscale, the Cronbach’s α coefficient of the total scale was.977, and the Cronbach’s α coefficients of each subscale were.938,.913,.850,.899, and.810, respectively. In the results of confirmatory factor analysis, the standardised factor loading was between.55 and.87. Additionally, the value of the RMR was.035, the value of the RMSEA was.055, the value of the GFI was.917, the value of the AGFI was.901, the value of the CFI was.936, the value of the NFI was.928, the value of the NNFI was.929 and the value of the IFI was.936, which were all up to ideal standards. In cross-validation analysis, the result of measurement invariance was not significant in Δχ2 of residual analysis, and both △CFI and △TLI were less than the standard of.05, which showed that QSLMM was reliability and validity. Based on the above research results, the QSLMM could effectively investigate the senior and junior high school students’ mathematics learning motivation. 5.2 Future research suggestions Based on the data and analysis obtained from this study, the following two suggestions are proposed for future researchers' reference: 117 Erh-tsung Chin & Ruei Chang Lo 5.2.1.

  The Development of a Questionnaire for Assessing Students' Learning Motivation toward Mathematics (QSLMM) · 2026 · DOI

• multidimensional construct involving emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. that mathematics describe math phobia that Emotionally, students’ anxiety creates a negative learning atmosphere that reduces their willingness to participate in classroom activities. Cognitively, anxiety interferes with working memory capacity, limiting students’ ability to process information and apply problem-solving this manifests in strategies effectively. Behaviorally, avoidance tendencies, where students are reluctant to engage with mathematical tasks, thereby reducing practice opportunities and reinforcing low achievement. in motivation, The implementation of the math phobia mitigation model shows that these barriers can be significantly reduced through a structured and supportive learning approach. The increase interest, and self-confidence indicates that students respond positively when they are placed in a safe learning environment that emphasizes encouragement, gradual exposure to tasks, and active engagement. This supports the view that affective factors play a crucial role in shaping students’ attitudes toward mathematics learning. Furthermore, the improvement in learning outcomes suggests a strong interconnection between psychological readiness and academic performance. When anxiety levels decrease, students are better able to focus, think critically, and persist in solving problems. This leads to more effective learning processes and higher achievement levels. The substantial increase in mastery learning also indicates that the model not only benefits high-achieving students but also supports those who previously struggled with mathematics. Overall, the results confirm that addressing math phobia in mathematics education. A learning is essential environment integrates emotional support with that instructional strategies can enhance students’ cognitive performance while simultaneously improving their affective development. Therefore, the math phobia mitigation model can be considered an effective approach to improving both learning quality and student outcomes in mathematics education.

  A Math Phobia Mitigation Model to Enhance High School Students’ Motivation, Interest, and Mathematics Learning Outcomes · 2026 · DOI

• The study’s findings lead to the following recommendation: 1) Heads of teachers should ensure that mathematics teachers are well trained in the subject area and are well equipped to teach the subject. 2) Teacher must have the necessary academic qualifications, attend workshops and seminars on capacity building, and be willing to learn new methods of teaching mathematics. 3) Mathematics teachers consider students’ interests when teaching mathematics.

  The effect of the t-qual model on student’s mathematics interest: Mediated by student’s mathematics perceptions · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the foregoing discussion of the findings and conclusion, the research article recommends that secondary school mathematics teacher educators should be sensitized to the need for mathematics teachers to organize mathematics classrooms that allow equal social participation and provision of metacognitive support among learners. Since there was a positive correlation between classroom-based psychosocial mathematical learner identities and student performance in mathematics, teachers should encourage communication of mathematical meanings free from the negative effects of peer influence among learners. Author contributions: NTM: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, writing – original draft; MM: project administration; JM: supervision. All authors have agreed with the results and conclusions. Acknowledgement: Authors acknowledge the support received in writing this paper. First, supervisors are acknowledged for providing diligent supervision and constant encouragement. Second, appreciation is extended to all scholars whose work has been cited, without whom it would not have been possible to complete a thesis of this magnitude. Lastly, authors express gratitude to the students who participated in the study. Funding: No funding source is reported for this study. Ethical statement: The authors stated that the study didn’t require approval of ethics committee. It did not involve research that included live specimens. AI statement: The authors stated that no AI technologies were used in any part of this study. Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is neither conflict of interest nor affiliation with nor involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest, such as educational grants or non-financial interests, such as personal relationships in the subject matter discussed in this manuscript. Data sharing statement: Data supporting the findings and conclusions are available upon request from the corresponding author. REFERENCES Allen, K., & Schnell, K. (2016). Developing mathematics identity. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 21, 385-448. Bishop, J. P. (2012). “She’s always been the smart one. I’ve always been the dumb one”: Identities in the mathematics classroom. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 43(1), 34-74. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.43.1.0034 Boaler, J. (2000). Identity, agency, and knowing in mathematics worlds. In J. Boaler (Ed.), Multiple perspectives on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 171-200). https://doi.org/10.5040/9798400688362.0011 Brown, A. L. (1987). Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Darragh, L. (2016).

  Classroom-based psychosocial mathematical learner identities and student performance in mathematics among secondary school students in Kilifi County, Kenya · 2026 · DOI

• In order to increase math success rates, math anxiety needs to be alleviated and the interplay between socio-cognitive constructs and cognitive learning strategies needs to be investigated (Jain & Dowson, 2009; Pajares & Graham, 1999; Usher & Pajares, 2009; Zimmerman, 2002). (2011) also found that math anxiety could be reduced through self-regulation and self-efficacy, albeit their model was not limited to these constructs.

  Revisiting Self-Regulation, Math Self-Efficacy, and Mathematics Anxiety With a Sample of University Students in the United States: A Structural Equation Model of Mathematics Anxiety · 2026 · DOI

• Mathematics teachers assessed their students' motiva- tion and performance using an online questionnaire (Google Forms). The assessment of motivation was based on a three-level scale inspired by the work of Beal and colleagues (2008): (a) high motivation, characterized BEYOND ACADEMIC RESULTS: MOTIVATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL FACTORS 3 AS INDICATORS OF EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN MATHEMATICS by active participation in class, completion of all home- work assignments, a keen interest in mathematics, and academic success; (b) average motivation; and (c) low motivation, identified by frequent failure to com- plete homework assignments, lack of participation and attendance in class, and disinterest in mathematics and academic performance. The results were classified into three categories: (a) high achievement, determined by performance above grade-level expectations; (b) aver- age achievement, characterized by performance in line with expectations; and (c) low achievement, defined by performance below expectations, with the latter catego- ry indicating a risk of failure in mathematics. It should be noted, however, that this categorisation is based on expectations regarding academic achievement, which may vary depending on institutional contexts and the assessment practices of individual teachers. Because this approach reflects standard educational norms, it should therefore be interpreted as a contextualised esti- mate of performance rather than an absolute measure of mathematical ability.

  Beyond academic results: motivational and emotional factors as indicators of educational effectiveness in mathematics · 2026 · DOI

• The current study focused on two schools located in the same region which limit the generalization of results to the entire population, which has positively responded to the letter of consent to carry out the study. However, this study aimed to reach students in science education mainly in the Savannah ecosystem as it provides opportunities to achieve relevant learning experiences. Thus, future researchers are recommended to use different schools from J Educ Sci Environ Health 13 different regions to make the results stronger and generalize them to the whole country and different school settings. We believe that this work supports the results of similar studies by providing compelling evidence that can be used to influence decision-making by principals, teachers, and policymakers to promote IBSF in primary schools in the broader learning context. The implication of adopting IBSF orientation for primary school students is to employ real-world problems and include controversial topics in the curriculum to allow students to apply disciplinary knowledge to current affairs of science, critical thinking and reasoning skills to formulate educated judgments as IBSF fosters student discussion, interactions and direct engagement with the experiences of others. The positive attitude towards IBSF will encourage students to participate in IBSF in the future. Moreover, a contextual essay (Morales-Doyle, 2023) might be a great instrument for examining students of different ages in different schools' attitude towards IBSF.

  Primary School Students' Learning Achievement and Attitudes Towards Inquiry-Based Science Fieldwork with Socio-Demographic Information · 2026 · DOI

• The quantitative and qualitative results of our study provide empirical evidence of the mechanisms underlying self-selection bias in research on the teaching profession. However, we would argue that a follow-up larger-scale study may more precisely disentangle the effects of school type, subject, and local schools on self-selection bias when investigating sensitive topics. It is important to note that researchers from other countries and/or assessment systems should carefully consider which dependent vari- able is suitable for their specific research context. Since the variable should reflect grading sensitivity to yield a comparable effect, researchers could base their choice on grading guidelines or implicit grading norms in their respective country. Teach- ers’ grading patterns during transition decisions, for example, could be an interesting choice. Using the discrepancy between classroom and Matura grades as the depen- dent variable is presumably only suitable for systems like Austria’s, where teach- ers grade both assessments. The Austrian “loophole” of allowing teacher classroom grades to compensate for low or failing Matura grades provided an unplanned but excellent opportunity to detect self-selection bias related to teacher grading. Future experimental studies could test how different framings of survey invita- tions (e.g., focus on grading vs. teaching practices more broadly) impact response rates in sensitive areas such as grading. In addition to such overall effects, it would be valuable to investigate whether framing impact differs by, for example, teacher characteristics (e.g., age, gender, professional attitudes), subject area or school type. Further, comparative perspectives (e.g., cross-national) could shed light on whether the mechanisms identified here, like strategic grading or the role of shame, are con- text-specific or generalizable across different education systems. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability1 3 Research on self-selection bias in the educational context is still scarce (Guillemot et al., 2025), presumably because it is difficult to detect, requires relatively complex designs (Olson, 2006), and is often not the primary focus of researchers’ interests. However, providing a transparent account of self-selection bias, including accidental findings, is important to advance this field, as it can raise researchers’ awareness of potential biases and risks of unrepresentative data, ultimately leading to more robust and generalizable results. Author contributions Vincent Schatz: Conceptualization, Data collection and curation, Quantitative data analysis, Qualitative data analysis, Writing Roman Zviagintsev: Quantitative data analysis, Feedback Nele Kampa: Final Feedback. Funding Open access funding provided by University of Vienna. This research did not receive any spe- cific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Data Availability The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

  Self-selection bias in the sensitive topic of teacher grading: the role of subject and school context · 2026 · DOI

• Chesed S. Oriendo Doctor of Education, Major in Educational Management, Graduate School, Cebu Technological University – Danao Campus, Danao City, Cebu, Philippines Publication history: Received: June 13, 2026; Revised: July 4, 2026; Accepted: July 8, 2026 Email of Corresponding Author…

  National Mathematics Program and Its Relationship to Learners’ Attitude, Engagement, and Perceived Mathematical Competence: Basis for Policy Recommendations · 2026 · DOI

• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101859 Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059 Fredricks, J. A., Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2021). Handbook of student engagement interventions. Academic Press. Fredricks, J. A., Wang, M. T., Schall Linn, J., Hofkens, T., Sung, H., Parr, A., & Allerton, J. (2022). Using qualitative methods to develop a multidimensional understanding of student engagement. Learning and Instruction, 80, 101620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101620 García, E., & Weiss, E. (2021). The role of data-driven instruction in improving student outcomes. Economic Policy Institute. International Journal of Sustainability and Advanced Integrated Research Volume 2, Issue 2 (July-September 2026) | ISSN: 3107-7854 295 International Journal of Sustainability and Advanced Integrated Research Volume 2, Issue 3 (July-September 2026) | ISSN: 3107-7854 González, A., Paoloni, P. V., & Donolo, D. (2023). Self-efficacy and academic achievement in mathematics: A meta- analytic review. Educational Psychology Review, 35(2), 1–25. Guskey, T. R. (2020). Evaluating professional learning. Corwin Press. Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge. Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel. Routledge. Hidi, S., & Renninger, K. A. (2020). Interest development and its relation to learning and motivation. Educational Psychologist, 55(2), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1658079 Hiebert, J., & Grouws, D. A. (2007). The effects of classroom mathematics teaching on students’ learning. In F. Lester (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 371–404). Information Age Publishing. Hill, H. C., & Chin, M. J. (2022). Connections between teachers’ professional learning and mathematics instructional quality. Educational Policy, 36(3), 620–648. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904820951111 Hill, N. E., & Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: A meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 740–763. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015362 Hwang, G. J., Tu, Y. F., & Wang, X. (2023). Effects of technology-supported mathematics learning on students' engagement and achievement. Educational Technology & Society, 26(2), 1–15. Hyde, J. S. (2014). Gender similarities and differences. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 373–398. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115057 Johnson, B., Christensen, L., & Turner, L. A. (2020). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (7th ed.). SAGE Publications. Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2021). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta- 185–215.

  National Mathematics Program and Its Relationship to Learners’ Attitude, Engagement, and Perceived Mathematical Competence: Basis for Policy Recommendations · 2026 · DOI

• Future research may examine the trend of the effects of several common teaching factors using the recent several rounds of PISA data (e. Future research could investigate the variation of teaching effectiveness in these two different education levels (i. Theorizing teaching: Current Status and Open Issues, 131-157. Theo- rizing teaching: Current status and open issues (pp.

  Teaching effectiveness on secondary mathematics: evidence from PISA—Shanghai-China · 2026 · DOI

• The findings of this study suggest that underachievement in gifted students cannot be attributed solely to academic performance, but rather represents a complex process shaped by the interaction of motivational, affective, and contextual factors. Accordingly, the recommendations are presented across three dimensions: practice, policy, and research. It is recommended that guidance and psychological counseling services implemented in schools and BILSEM be structured to support the self-efficacy beliefs, task value, and self-regulation skills of gifted students experiencing underachievement. Establishing meaningful links between students’ interests and academic tasks may increase engagement in the learning process. Enhancing teachers’ awareness of underachievement and avoiding interpretations of low performance as mere lack of effort are particularly important. Informational activities for families should address the effects of parental attitudes toward academic achievement on students’ motivation. Educational practices for gifted students should move beyond identification and academic acceleration to include motivational and psychosocial needs. In particular, the development of transition programs that support students’ academic and emotional adjustment during critical periods such as the transition from middle school to high school may reduce the risk of underachievement. Strengthening alignment between school and BILSEM programs and incorporating this topic into teacher education processes are also essential. Future research is recommended to replicate and extend these findings through studies conducted with larger samples and in diverse contexts. Longitudinal and mixed-method designs may provide deeper into the developmental course of underachievement over time. In addition, studies that incorporate the perspectives of school administrators, school counselors, students, parents, and teachers may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.

  A Case Study on the Experiences of Underachieving Gifted Students · 2026 · DOI

• https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127 Yalçın, G., Akın, U. Ş., & Kan, A. (2021). Bilim ve Sanat Merkezlerine yönelik tutum ölçeği geliştirme çalışması [A study on developing attitude scale towards science and art centers]. Bayterek Uluslararası Akademik Araştırmalar Dergisi, 4(2), 166-178.

  Attitudes of Gifted Students Toward Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM): A Study of Validity and Reliability · 2026 · DOI

• The scale should be administered in BİLSEMs located in other provinces, especially in regions with differing socioeconomic characteristics, to retest and confirm its psychometric properties. 2. To assess the temporal stability of the scale, it is recommended that the instrument be re-administered to the same students after a 2 - 4 week interval, with test–retest correlations calculated. 3. Future studies should investigate the relationship between scale scores and external criteria, such as students’ length of attendance at BİLSEM, project achievements, teacher evaluations, and parental feedback. 4. The researchers suggest multi-group CFA to determine whether the scale consistently measures the same construct across different groups, including gender, age, program level, and talent domain). 5. Longitudinal studies tracking students’ attitudes from the time they first enter BİLSEM would help evaluate the scale’s ability to capture developmental changes over time.

  Attitudes of Gifted Students Toward Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM): A Study of Validity and Reliability · 2026 · DOI

• practices. for https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127 Yalçın, G., Akın, U. Ş., & Kan, A. (2021). Bilim ve Sanat Merkezlerine yönelik tutum ölçeği geliştirme çalışması. 166-178.

  Attitudes of Gifted Students Toward Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM): A Study of Validity and Reliability · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could investigate these interactions more thoroughly and determine effective approaches to enhance modelling-focused teaching practices. Future studies should consider using experimental or longitudinal approaches, which are better suited for capturing changes over time and establishing cause-and- effect patterns.

  Bridging belief and practice: Resilience as a mediator between self-efficacy and mathematical modelling instruction in Malaysia · 2026 · DOI

• In this study, the growth and fixed mindset levels of secondary school students were examined within the framework of implicit theories of intelligence, taking into account the variables of gender, grade level and age. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are presented for both practitioners and researchers: 1. Given that age and grade level may play a decisive role in the development of students’mindsets, activities that support a growth mindset could be differentiated according to grade level. 2. Teachers could be encouraged to develop strategies that support all students’ growth mindset beliefs, moving away from gender-based stereotypes. 3. In addition to this study, which employed quantitative methods, the use of qualitative methods (e.g., student diaries, interviews or focus group studies) could provide more in- depth insights into students’ mindset beliefs. 4. Particularly during critical transition periods (e.g. from primary to secondary school, or from secondary to sixth form), growth mindset education can be integrated with guidance support to assist students through these transitions.

  An Examination of Secondary School Students Mindsets in Terms of Gender, Grade Level and Age Variables within the Context of Implicit Theories · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the findings of the study, mathematics teachers may adopt instructional practices that strengthen cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement through inquiry-based learning, collaborative problem solving, technology-enhanced instruction, and meaningful real-world applications of mathematics. Learning environments may also be designed to encourage active participation, reflective thinking, and positive attitudes toward mathematics. Schools and educational leaders may develop intervention programs that support students experiencing mathematics anxiety through counseling services, learner support initiatives, low-stakes assessments, and classroom practices that promote psychological safety and confidence in learning. Curriculum developers may consider integrating activities that foster higher-order thinking skills, mathematical reasoning, student autonomy, and emotional engagement within mathematics learning competencies and instructional materials. Teacher education institutions and professional development providers may incorporate training on student engagement, mathematics anxiety management, social-emotional learning, and learner-centered instructional approaches to better prepare teachers for diverse classroom needs. Future researchers may conduct longitudinal, mixed-method, or intervention-based studies to further examine the relationships among engagement, anxiety, and achievement across different educational contexts and learner populations. REFERENCES Andrews, A., & Brown, J. (2015). The effects of math anxiety. Education, 135(3), 362–370. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1095418 Anindyarini, R., & Supahar. (2019). Portrait of mathematical anxiety in early youth ages. International Journal of Trends in Mathematics Education Research, 2(3), 128–132. https://doi.org/10.33122/ijtmer.v2i3.77 Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., Kim, D., & Reschly, A. L. (2006). Measuring cognitive and psychological engagement: Validation of the Student Engagement Instrument. Journal of School Psychology, 44(5), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2006.04.002 Ariyanti, G., & Santoso, F. G. I. (2020). The effects of online mathematics learning in the COVID-19 pandemic period: A case study of senior high school students at Madiun City, Indonesia. Mathematics Teaching Research Journal, 12(3), 4–11. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1384861.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com Arslan, Ç. (2020). Examining the relationship between 5-8th grade students' test anxiety and mathematics anxiety. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 13(1), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.24193/adn.13.1.12 Awofala, A. O. A., & Falolu, O. S. (2017). Motivation to learn mathematics as correlates of pre-service teachers' performance in mathematics. ABACUS: The Journal of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria, 42(1), 370–390.

  Effect of student engagement on Mathematics performance: The moderating role of Math anxiety · 2026 · DOI

• The following future research should be carried out: (1) development across academic years, instructional experiences. (2) (2017) evidence that innovative teaching methods bridge gender gaps, experimental studies comparing traditional versus reformed instruction on gender-specific efficacy outcomes are urgently needed in Nigerian -experimental design, which demonstrated dramatic achievement advantages under action learning and inquiry-based strategies relative to conventional lecture instruction among Nigerian secondary physics students, provides a methodological template for such intervention studies, though future work should extend this to self-efficacy outcomes and explicitly test the interaction between pedagogy and gender as a primary hypothesis. -experimental design, which successfully detected significant Gender × Instruction interaction 337 Journal Plus Education Vol. XL no. 1/ 2026 p. 318-343 effects on physics achievement while tracking misconception scores alongside achievement, offers an additional methodological model. Future Nigerian studies should similarly collect both achievement and self-efficacy data before and after instructional interventions, enabling direct comparison of pedagogical effects on self-efficacy trajectories by gender. (3) Examine teacher preparation and professional development: How can pre-service and in-service training help teachers recognize and counteract gendered interaction patterns? Given Ogumogu's (2017) documentation of teacher biases and Oyewole's (2025) evidence of male-dominated physics departments, teacher education represents a critical intervention point. (4) curriculum materials: Building on Oyewole's (2025) content analysis showing 63% male representation in textbook illustrations, systematic research should examine how curriculum materials can be revised to provide more gender-balanced representations and examples. (5) Explore intersectionality: The present study examined gender in isolation. Future research should investigate how gender intersects with socioeconomic status, rural/urban location, and ethnicity to shape physics experiences and outcomes. Oyewole (2025) notes that 75% of females choosing science come from urban areas and 71% from educated families, suggesting that socioeconomic and geographic factors interact with gender to shape STEM participation.

  DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF TEACHER-CENTERED INSTRUCTION ON PHYSICS SELF-EFFICACY: A FACTORIAL ANALYSIS OF GENDER IN NIGERIA · 2026 · DOI

• With the abovementioned contribution to literature, the study has a few limitations. First, the data is based on recalled parental observations of the preschool years. This may have increased recall bias and social desirability. Second, although early giftedness traits were derived from the literature and parental observations, validity was examined solely via parental reports. The absence of multiple informants such as teachers or other professionals introduces the likelihood of common-method bias. Future research should employ longitudinal designs, multiple informants, naturalistic observations, and larger comprehensive psychometric validation.

  The early signs of giftedness: the development of a preschool screening checklist · 2026 · DOI

• Mathematics underpreparedness is a major contributor to poor performance and attrition in engineering education, yet evidence from underrepresented STEM contexts remains scarce.

  Mathematics abilities as the key to successfully completing an engineering major: an analysis of a remedial mathematics course · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Education, Achievement, and Giftedness

• Motivating the Academically Unmotivated: A Critical Issue for the 21st Century · Review of Educational Research · 2000 · 937 citations
• What can be learned from growth mindset controversies? · American Psychologist · 2020 · 616 citations
• A meta-analysis of the relation between math anxiety and math achievement. · Psychological Bulletin · 2020 · 469 citations
• Study Habits, Skills, and Attitudes: The Third Pillar Supporting Collegiate Academic Performance · Perspectives on Psychological Science · 2008 · 421 citations
• Math Anxiety: Past Research, Promising Interventions, and a New Interpretation Framework · Educational Psychologist · 2018 · 374 citations
• Teacher emotions in the classroom and their implications for students · Educational Psychologist · 2021 · 371 citations
• Teachers' occupational well-being and quality of instruction: The important role of self-regulatory patterns. · Journal of Educational Psychology · 2008 · 367 citations
• Achievement Goal Theory and Affect: An Asymmetrical Bidirectional Model · Educational Psychologist · 2002 · 283 citations
• Perceived teacher support, student engagement, and academic achievement: a meta-analysis · Educational Psychology · 2022 · 269 citations
• Teachers’ emotional exhaustion is negatively related to students’ achievement: Evidence from a large-scale assessment study. · Journal of Educational Psychology · 2016 · 259 citations

Most recent work

• Trajectory Patterns of Academic Self‐Efficacy, the Related Factors, and Anxiety Among Chinese College Students · New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development · 2026
• Parental Involvement’s Effect on Grade-4 Students’ Mathematics and Science Performance in the United Arab Emirates · International Journal of Early Childhood · 2026
• Student engagement declines across adolescence: A meta‐analysis of longitudinal studies · Review of Education · 2026
• The Impact of School Well-Being on Educational Identity During School Transition: A Longitudinal Profile Analysis · Identity · 2026
• Mathematics abilities as the key to successfully completing an engineering major: an analysis of a remedial mathematics course · European Journal of Engineering Education · 2026
• How much motivation is in student ratings of mathematics instructional quality? Disentangling the role of individual characteristics, class averages, and class heterogeneity · ZDM · 2026
• The relations between motivation and mathematics achievement: a cross-cultural study of Asia-Pacific jurisdictions using TIMSS 2023 data · ZDM · 2026
• Relationships between students’ attributions in chemistry and chemistry learning burnout: the chain mediating roles of chemistry self-efficacy and chemistry learning engagement · Chemistry Education Research and Practice · 2026
• How relevant is mathematics for my field of study? Interindividual and context-dependent differences in students’ motivation and engagement with a mathematics prerequisites test across STEM fields · ZDM – Mathematics Education · 2026
• Anxiety as a mediator between preservice teachers' attitudes toward mathematics teaching and their self-efficacy beliefs · Frontiers in Psychology · 2026

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