Classroom mathematics learning: Association of joy of learning and school connectedness among high school students in India

Abstract

Mathematics learning experiences can influence the overall academic and socio‐emotional development of a child. The present study investigates the mediating effect of mathematics anxiety and emotional engagement on the relationships between teacher–student interaction, the joy of learning, and school connectedness. Two mediation models were tested for the dependent variables: the joy of learning and school connectedness, using Hayes' process macro in SPSS on a sample of 774 eighth‐standard students from Indian schools. The study's results indicate the presence of a serial mediation effect on the relationship between teacher–student interaction and joy of learning, teacher–student interaction, and school connectedness through mathematics anxiety and emotional engagement. The study emphasized the role of mathematics learning within the overall framework of “joy of learning” and “school connectedness.”