The role of context-dependent and context-dependent cognitive functions and cognitive style in math performance in high school male students in Mashhad

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions of "mathematical anxiety, mathematical attitude, mathematical accuracy, working memory capacity" and students' cognitive styles on mathematics lesson progress.

This is a correlational research. The statistical population of this study was all male students of the eighth grade of the first high school of Mashhad public schools in the academic year 1396-96. The sample size was 322 people based on Morgan table. The sampling method was multistage cluster sampling. The participants completed the questionnaires of contextual and context-dependent cognitive styles, math attitude test, mathematical accuracy, mathematical anxiety and working memory.  

Findings showed that math learning anxiety in a negative relationship can predict math lesson progress. The results of these studies indicate that a positive attitude to math lesson increases mindfulness and ability to solve math problems.

The results also showed that students with high working memory capacity had better performance in mathematical problem solving than students with low and medium working memory capacity in mathematics lesson. There was also a significant positive relationship between latent form test scores and mathematical performance. The stepwise regression model also shows that variables of active memory and cognitive styles influence students' mathematical performance.