Exploring the effects of curiosity and anxiety on Mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs in primary school teachers.

Backround: In the mathematics education literature, there is a limited number of comprehensive studies that examine the dynamic relationship between teacher efficacy beliefs and psychological variables such as curiosity and anxiety within the context of primary education. However, these variables have a wide sphere of influence, extending from instructional quality to student achievement, and they interactively shape teacher behaviors. Therefore, investigating the impact of primary teachers' mathematical curiosity and teaching anxiety on their beliefs about mathematics teaching efficacy emerges as a necessity for supporting professional development, restructuring teacher education programs more effectively, and contributing to the improvement of mathematics instruction. In line with this need, the present study aims to reveal the relationship between primary school teachers' beliefs about their mathematics teaching efficacy, their mathematical curiosity, and their mathematics teaching anxiety. Moreover, the study seeks to determine the influence of the psychological variables-curiosity and anxiety-on mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs within the context of mathematics instruction.

Method: The research, which was designed according to a cross-sectional research model, was conducted in accordance with the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research approaches. The research focuses on primary school teachers working in primary schools in a medium-sized city in the eastern region of Türkiye in 2024. The sample consists of 893 primary teachers, selected from the population through a disproportionate cluster sampling method. Among the teachers in the study sample, 43.6% were female and 56.4% were male; 65.5% held a bachelor's degree, while 34.5% had completed graduate education. In terms of professional seniority, 31.9% had 1-5 years of experience, 27.8% had 6-10 years, 14.9% had 11-15 years, 15.6% had 16-20 years, and 9.8% had 21 years or more of teaching experience. Data were collected using four instruments: a "Personal Information Form," the "Mathematical Curiosity Scale," the "Primary Teachers' Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale," and the "Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Scale." Since the overall Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the scales used in the study were greater than α > .70, the scale data were considered to be reliable. Since the research data met the normality criteria, inferential statistical methods such as Independent Samples t-Test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used.

Results: The study revealed significant differences in primary school teachers' mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs, mathematical curiosity, and mathematics teaching anxiety based on gender, educational background, and professional seniority (p. < 05). Male teachers, those with postgraduate education, and more experienced teachers demonstrated higher levels of efficacy beliefs and curiosity, alongside lower levels of mathematics teaching anxiety. The findings reveal that primary teachers' beliefs about their mathematics teaching efficacy are significantly related to their mathematical curiosity and teaching anxiety (p < .01; .30 < r < .70). Moreover, the predictors-mathematical curiosity and teaching anxiety-were found to have a significant impact on teaching efficacy beliefs (Corrected R² = .475; p < .05). Furthermore, the study found that low levels of mathematics teaching anxiety have a positive effect on mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs, which is an unexpected result.

Conclusions: In conclusion, it has been determined that emotional states such as curiosity and anxiety are significant predictors of elementary school teachers' mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs. These results offer important insights for educational stakeholders regarding primary teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching efficacy, their mathematical curiosity, and their mathematics teaching anxiety. The results indicate that teachers' efficacy beliefs are significantly related to, and potentially shaped by, the variables of curiosity and anxiety. Identifying mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs in the context of teacher development and their influence on learning environments can enable targeted support for teachers with low self-efficacy through various teacher training instruments. Moreover, such interventions may help prevent teachers from beginning and ending their lessons with diminished confidence and motivation.