Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)

This study aimed to investigates the mediating roles of of mathematics interest in the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking, and students’ mathematics performance. This study employed a cross‐sectional survey design. The target population consists of secondary‐school students wi...

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Main Author: Bright Asare
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-08-01
Series:Cogent Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2542437
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author Bright Asare
author_facet Bright Asare
author_sort Bright Asare
collection DOAJ
description This study aimed to investigates the mediating roles of of mathematics interest in the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking, and students’ mathematics performance. This study employed a cross‐sectional survey design. The target population consists of secondary‐school students with a sample size of 345 students. The data was gathered using a structured questionnaire, which was developed on a five-point Likert scale. The data gathered was analyzed using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via Amos version 23 to respond to the research hypotheses. The study revealed that epistemological belief (EB) had a significant positive effect on students’ mathematics performance. Moreover, reflective thinking had a significant positive effect on students’ mathematics performance. In addition, mathematics interest significantly and partially mediates the nexus between epistemological belief and students’ mathematics performance. Finally, mathematical interest was found to significantly and partially mediates the nexus between reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance. Past studies have largely focused on the effect of epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest on students’ performance, but the indirect effect of students’ interest on the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance is underexplored. To add to the literature, the researcher examined the mediating role of mathematics interest in the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2331-186X
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publishDate 2025-08-01
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spelling doaj-art-7d0d3eb0b65743ea901b30605af9a2fc2025-08-20T04:01:08ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Education2331-186X2025-08-0112110.1080/2331186X.2025.2542437Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)Bright Asare0Mathematics Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Kumasi, GhanaThis study aimed to investigates the mediating roles of of mathematics interest in the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking, and students’ mathematics performance. This study employed a cross‐sectional survey design. The target population consists of secondary‐school students with a sample size of 345 students. The data was gathered using a structured questionnaire, which was developed on a five-point Likert scale. The data gathered was analyzed using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via Amos version 23 to respond to the research hypotheses. The study revealed that epistemological belief (EB) had a significant positive effect on students’ mathematics performance. Moreover, reflective thinking had a significant positive effect on students’ mathematics performance. In addition, mathematics interest significantly and partially mediates the nexus between epistemological belief and students’ mathematics performance. Finally, mathematical interest was found to significantly and partially mediates the nexus between reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance. Past studies have largely focused on the effect of epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest on students’ performance, but the indirect effect of students’ interest on the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance is underexplored. To add to the literature, the researcher examined the mediating role of mathematics interest in the nexus between epistemological belief, reflective thinking and students’ mathematics performance.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2542437Epistemological beliefreflective thinkingmathematics intereststudents’mathematics performanceSocial Sciences
spellingShingle Bright Asare
Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
Cogent Education
Epistemological belief
reflective thinking
mathematics interest
students’
mathematics performance
Social Sciences
title Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
title_full Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
title_fullStr Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
title_full_unstemmed Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
title_short Epistemological belief, reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students’ mathematics performance: mediation analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM)
title_sort epistemological belief reflective thinking and mathematics interest as a predictor of students mathematics performance mediation analysis via structural equation modeling sem
topic Epistemological belief
reflective thinking
mathematics interest
students’
mathematics performance
Social Sciences
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2542437
work_keys_str_mv AT brightasare epistemologicalbeliefreflectivethinkingandmathematicsinterestasapredictorofstudentsmathematicsperformancemediationanalysisviastructuralequationmodelingsem