Social Learning : Is it a Causal Factor for Mathematics Anxiety in Adolescent Girls?

The present study aims to examine the relationship among Mathematics Anxiety, numerical ability and gender difference of a sample of tribal (Tripuri, Reang, chakma and Mog ) male and female students of Tripura. A 10 statement math anxiety survey test by Ellen Freedman (2008) and numerical ability test, a subtest of DAT by Ojha was used to collect the data. Sample was divided into 2 groups, 50 boy and girl children and 50 male and female adolescents. The findings of the study indicate that in childhood there was no effect of gender difference in Mathematics Anxiety. But during adolescence, the Mathematics Anxiety of females became much higher than their male counterparts. It has also been found that students who have high level of Mathematics Anxiety have low level of numerical ability. It helps the present researcher to assume that the Mathematics Anxiety, as a result of social learning, hinders the tribal adolescent girls to do well in numerical Performance.