Digital interactive app and students’ mathematics self-efficacy, anxiety, and achievement in the “new normal”

Abstract

The pandemic brought changes in the educational setup leading all learning institutions to rely on online learning. In instruction, using the e-learning method has increased due to the pandemic. This study investigated the effects of the Digital Interactive Math Comics (DIMaC) mobile App on students’ self-efficacy, anxiety, and achievement in General Mathematics. The study employed quasi-experimental research, specifically a one-group pre-posttest design. Two adapted questionnaires were employed in the study. Results revealed that students’ self-efficacy remained the same as “Moderate,” anxiety significantly decreased, and their achievement improved from “Satisfactory” to “Very Satisfactory” when utilizing the DIMaC App for 6 weeks. A negative correlation was observed between students’ mathematics self-efficacy and anxiety, while no significant association was found in the combination of the other variables. Results revealed that interactive instructional materials like the DIMaC app help students decrease their learning anxiety in the “New Normal” setup and improve learning gain. Learning materials that students manipulate and interact with significantly affect Mathematics Performance. Therefore, school stakeholders, especially the subject teachers, may develop interactive materials to aid students in the new setup in education.