School Engagement, Frustration Tolerance, and Mathematics Performance: Their Relationships in Primary School Students

Abstract

This work analyzes the contribution of school engagement (SE) and frustration tolerance (FT) to mathematics performance in high-elementary school students and investigates whether those variables’ predictive value varied according to the type of mathematic measure used (standardized tests versus school grades). Additionally, this study explores whether the relationship between SE and mathematics performance varied according to students’ FT ability. The sample was composed of 233 students who attended the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of elementary school. In general terms, results indicate that both SE and FT significantly contribute to mathematics performance and that these variables account for a greater share of explained variance when school grades are considered. No interaction was found between SE and FT in predicting math knowledge. These results suggest a methodological problem in mathematics performance assessment and indicate that SE could be considered for the prediction of mathematics achievement.