ERIC Number: EJ1346985
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1547-500X
Available Date: N/A
Choice of Pedagogical Agents as Virtual Math Tutors: Perspectives from Children and College Students
Huang, Xiaoxia; Mathews, Justin L.; Hsiao, E-Ling
Journal of Educators Online, v19 n2 May 2022
The central research question of this empirical study was: How do student demographics, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety relate to and predict their choice of pedagogical agents serving as virtual math tutors? A total of 152 middle school students and 135 college students were surveyed on their perceived math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and their choice of virtual math tutors. The collected survey data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regressions to answer the research question. Results suggest that (1) student gender predicted choice of agent gender for both groups of samples; (2) student ethnicity predicted choice of agent ethnicity for the middle school students but not for the college students; and (3) student math self-efficacy predicted choice of agent gender for the middle school students and choice of agent age for the college students. Overall, the results supported the similarity-attraction theory in terms of gender with both groups of samples in their agent choice. However, similarity in ethnicity seemed a more important factor for the middle school participants than for the college participants in their agent choice. The results also indicate that students' agent choice might be influenced by their perceptions of their own self-efficacy level and the perceived agents' self-efficacy level. Future research should be conducted to verify the results.
Descriptors: Tutoring, Mathematics Instruction, Middle School Students, College Students, Predictor Variables, Mathematics Anxiety, Self Efficacy, Computer Assisted Instruction, Electronic Learning, Rating Scales, Surveys, Sex, Ethnicity, Student Attitudes
Journal of Educators Online. Grand Canyon University, 23300 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017. e-mail: CIRT@gcu.edu. Web site: https://www.thejeo.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale; Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A