Recent research in mathematics education has increasingly focused on emotions and the affective dimensions, alongside cognitive factors, play a structural and decisive role in the development of mathematical competence (Schukajlow et al., 2022). The Control–Value Theory explains the fundamental psychological mechanisms determining the emergence of achievement emotions experienced by students in academic settings (Perkun, 2006). At the core of the theory are the individual's perception of control over achievement-related activities and the outcomes of these activities and the subjective value they attribute to these activities and outcomes. On the emotional level, there is a theoretical distinction between activity emotions (e.g., interest, enjoyment, boredom) accompanying the learning process and outcome emotions (e.g., pride, shame, anxiety) associated with success or failure outcomes. In this context, anxiety is positioned directly within the category of outcome emotions and is treated as an emotion closely related to the individual's expectations of success and evaluation processes. In the dynamic structure of the theory, emotions influence student participation, the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, and academic achievement, while these outcomes shape the individual's future control and value assessments, creating a cyclical feedback mechanism. This theoretical framework provides a strong theoretical basis for understanding math anxiety, which refers to feelings of apprehension, tension or fear that hinders math performance (Ashcraft, 2002).

Mathematics anxiety emerging in early childhood is considered a multidimensional risk factor that affects not only academic performance but also an individual's long-term learning processes, academic orientation, and lifelong career development. Mathematics anxiety observed in kindergarten and early elementary school years is directly related to mathematical performance and is associated with low achievement, weak problem-solving strategies, and difficulties in learning new information (Wu et al., 2012; Ramirez et al., 2013; Tomasetto et al., 2020). Longitudinal studies show that this early anxiety negatively affects the rate of mathematics learning in later years, academic achievement levels, and the perpetuation of achievement gaps (Vukovic et al., 2013; Cargnelutti et al., 2017). The process is not limited to individual cognitive and emotional mechanisms but is also strongly shaped by primary environmental factors such as the parental math anxiety and the teacher's math anxiety affect the child's attitudes toward math, learning experiences, self-efficacy perception, and indirectly academic performance, reinforcing this developmental cycle (Tomasetto et al., 2025; Park et al., 2024). This holistic perspective reveals that math anxiety is a long-term developmental risk area that begins in early years, is fueled by environmental factors, and shapes the individual's academic life and professional future.

This study uses a systematic review method to examine scientific research addressing math anxiety in early childhood. The review will comprehensively analyze the current state of the field, key findings, and methodological trends. The aim of this study is to reveal research trends and gaps in the literature on early math anxiety, synthesize existing findings, and provide a holistic perspective for theoretical and applied work in the field.

RQ: What are the prevailing trends, key findings, and methodological approaches in scientific research on math anxiety in early childhood?

This systematic review on math anxiety has been structured in accordance with the scientific criteria outlined in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement (Moher et al., 2010). The literature search was conducted on December 24, 2025, in the Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), ERIC, and ProQuest Theses & Dissertation databases. The search strategy was structured to cover the phenomenon of math anxiety in early childhood and combined the terms “math anxiety,” “mathematics anxiety,” and “numeracy anxiety” with the concepts “preschool,” “early childhood,” “kindergarten,” and “pre-kindergarten” using various Boolean operators. These searches yielded a total of 271 records: 75 in Scopus, 87 in WoS, 59 in ERIC, and 50 in ProQuest. All retrieved records were transferred to the Rayyan AI platform, and the researcher manually decided which studies to include and exclude. The selection of studies was conducted based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the participants, outcomes, and study design parameters. The retrieved records were first duplicate records were excluded, screened at the title and abstract level, then at the full-text level. In the first stage, 131 studies were excluded due to being duplicate records through automatic and manual matching. Subsequently, a title–abstract screening was performed, and 71 studies that did not meet the predefined inclusion criteria were excluded. At the end of this screening process, 69 studies were included in the full-text reading stage and were subjected to the qualitative assessment process of the systematic review.

The studies of Math Anxiety in the context of early childhood listed for in-depth examination ranged in publication year from 1991 to 2025. This final list mainly consisted of research articles and doctoral dissertations. The analysis process continues. According to preliminary analysis, studies were predominantly contextualized in the United States. There were also studies reflecting the European context, such as Germany, Sweden etc., and the non-western context, such as China, and Indonesia etc. The majority of the reviewed studies followed quantitative methodologies, whereas a small number of studies employed mixed-method designs. There were very few studies utilizing qualitative methodologies. The reviewed studies varied in participants, including in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, parents and young children. Correspondingly, the focus of studies varied in terms of targeting Math Anxiety of young children, pre-service and in-service teachers, parents and parent-child pairs as well as its relation to other variables. Synthesizing of those, it appears that math anxiety determines directly the individuals’ math achievement. In addition math anxiety of parents and teachers indirectly affects educational context therefore children’s math abilities.

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