What shapes mathematics anxiety in K-12 education? A scoping review of research from 2019 to 2025

Despite growing interest in mathematics anxiety, comprehensive syntheses of recent K-12 research remain limited. This scoping review aims to map the literature on mathematics anxiety that was published between January 2019 and December 2025.

Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this review analyzed 132 empirical studies. The analysis categorized influencing factors into antecedents, processes, and outcomes, while also examining methodological characteristics and interventions.

Findings indicate that antecedent factors comprise individual (e.g., gender, grade) and environmental influences (e.g., parents, teachers, peers, culture), though research on high school students and cross-national comparisons remains notably underdeveloped. Process factors encompass behavioral, cognitive, and emotional dimensions, with cognitive aspects dominating the literature. Mathematics performance persists as the primary outcome of concern. Methodologically, studies rely heavily on variable-centered, cross-sectional designs, with limited use of person-centered, longitudinal, or multimodal approaches. Interventions predominantly target either contextual restructuring (e.g., peer tutoring, game design, mathematical software) or strategy training (e.g., skill enhancement, emotional regulation).

These findings highlight the need for integrated systemic models and methodological pluralism. Effective interventions must pair anxiety-reducing classrooms with self-regulation training, with particular urgency for high school students facing critical transitions.