The Development and Part Validation of a U.K. Scale for Mathematics Anxiety

There is a paucity of information surrounding maths anxiety levels in the British undergraduate
student population, and, due to terminological issues, existing measures of maths anxiety may
not be appropriate measures to use with this population. The current study, therefore, reports
on the development and validation of a new maths anxiety scale. Using a large sample of British
undergraduates, the 23-item Mathematics Anxiety Scale–UK (MAS-UK) is shown to be a reliable
and valid measure of maths anxiety. Exploratory factor analysis indicated the existence of three
factors, highlighting maths anxiety as a multidimensional construct. Confirmatory factor analysis
revealed a good-fitting model. Normative data on maths anxiety in a British undergraduate
student population are provided, along with comparisons between academic undergraduate
subject areas and genders. The MAS-UK may represent an easily administrable, reliable, and
valid tool for assessing maths anxiety in British and potentially European undergraduate student
populations.