Abstract Mathematics anxiety is a psychological phenomenon characterized by feelings of tension, fear, and apprehension when
dealing with numerical tasks (Richardson & Suinn, 1972; Ashcraft, 2002). This study investigates the relationship
between mathematics anxiety and academic performance among secondary school students using both primary and secondary
data. Primary data were collected from students through structured questionnaires and academic performance records,
while secondary data were obtained from published research articles, journals, and meta-analyses. The findings reveal a
significant negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and academic achievement (Hembree, 1990; Ma & Xu,
2004; Carey et al., 2016). Students with higher anxiety levels tend to perform poorly in mathematics due to reduced
concentration, low confidence, and working memory interference. The study suggests the need for psychological
interventions and teaching strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety in learners (OECD, 2013, 2019).