Browsing by Author "Morales, María Francisca"

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    Kindergarten children’s math anxiety and its relationship with mathematical performance
    (2023) del Río, María Francisca; Susperreguy Jorquera, Maria Inés; Morales, María Francisca; Peake, Christian; Angulo, Macarena
    There is limited evidence on the occurrence of math anxiety among kindergarten children. This study sought to measure the occurrence of math anxiety in this group by adapting a math anxiety scale to Chilean children and evaluating the association between math anxiety and mathematical performance. The sample included 124 kindergarten children (age M = 5.69) enrolled in Chilean public schools. The results confirmed the two-factor structure of the original scale (worry and somatization). Notably, outcomes pertaining to math anxiety did not show gender differences or an association with math self-concept. A multiple regression analysis revealed that math anxiety is a significant predictor of mathematical skills, even after controlling for gender, age and math self-concept. These results underscore the significance of tackling math anxiety during early education to foster early mathematical learning in children.
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    Maternal Depression and Parenting-Related Distress: Pathways of Transmission to Early Childhood Development in Chile
    (2025) Morales, María Francisca; Narea Biscupovich, Marigen Soledad; Soto-Ramírez, Pamela
    Maternal mental-health problems during early childhood can affect child development. However, most research has focused on depressive symptoms. We aimed to examine two distinct presentations of mental-health problems (depressive and parenting-related-distress symptoms) during early childhood and their indirect associations with infants’ cognitive, expressive, and receptive language at 3 years old via maternal sensitivity, intrusiveness, and cognitive stimulation in Chile. Using data from Mil Primeros Días, the study involved 940 families. Maternal mental-health problems and mother–child interactions were assessed in 2019 using self-reports and observational scales. Children’s outcomes were evaluated at age 3 in 2021. Findings support significant combined indirect effects of parenting-related distress on children’s expressive language. Conversely, no significant pathways were found for maternal depressive symptoms and child outcomes. We offer suggestions for health and early childhood policies focused on early identification of mental-health issues and mother–child interaction styles that promote children’s development.
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    Stereotyped perceptions of readers: an experimental vignette study with high school students and teachers
    (2025) Espinoza, Ana María; Strasser Salinas, Katherine; Kessels, Ursula; Morales, María Francisca
    In many countries, there are medium to large gender gaps in reading achievement and motivation in favor of female students. Since research does not show substantive gender differences in verbal skills, socio-cognitive factors, such as stereotypes associated with reading, become a plausible explanation for these gender gaps. A vignette study was conducted to test whether high school students and teachers have stereotypical perceptions about boys and girls who like to read. The study used a 2 (target’s gender: boy vs. girl) x 2 (target’s reading enjoyment: low vs. high) factorial design to examine the effect of a character’s gender and reading enjoyment on participants’ judgments about the character’s academic traits, popularity, and gender expression. Participants were 296 high school students and 135 Chilean high school language-teachers in Santiago (Chile). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and follow-up univariate ANOVAs with Bonferroni corrections showed that students hold gender stereotypes about reading because they perceive reading to be more associated with femininity than masculinity. Additionally, both students and teachers perceive characters who like to read as having more academic traits and being less popular than characters who do not enjoy reading. Contrary to expectations, no interaction effects between gender and reading enjoyment were found. These findings provide empirical evidence regarding a relevant topic in education -sources of inequalities in reading achievement. Such results may offer a preliminary basis for identifying general directions for policies or interventions that promote more equitable literacy learning opportunities for male and female high school students.