This study explored the relationship between parents’ mathematics selfefficacy
and emotional arousal to mathematics and their 12- and 13-year-old children’s
mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics. Parental modelling of
affective relationships during homework was a focus. Eighty-four parent and child
pairings from seven schools in New Zealand were examined using embedded design
methodology. No significant correlations were found when the parents’ mathematics
self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics were compared with the children’s
mathematics self-efficacy and emotional arousal to mathematics. However, the parents’
level of emotional arousal to mathematics was found to have affected their willingness
to assist with mathematics homework. For those parents who assisted, a significant
positive correlation was found between their mathematics self-efficacy and their
children’s emotional arousal to mathematics. Parents who did assist were generally
reported as being calm, and used techniques associated with positive engagement.
Fathers were calmer and more likely to express readiness to assist with mathematics
homework than mothers. A further significant positive correlation was found between
fathers’ emotional arousal to mathematics and children’s mathematics self-efficacy.
Implications from the study suggest directions for future research.

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• Parental modelling of mathematical affect: self-efficacy and emotional arousal