Promoting Latinx adolescents’ math motivation through competence support: Culturally responsive practices in an afterschool program context

Abstract

Early adolescence is an important period for students’ math motivational beliefs. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined middle school students’ experiences in a university-based math afterschool program serving predominantly underprivileged Latinx adolescents. First, utilizing quantitative pre- and post-survey data (N = 129), we found that the support adolescents received in the program for their competence needs positively predicted changes in their math motivational beliefs (i.e., math ability self-concepts and subjective task-values) over one academic year. In our follow-up analysis of qualitative interview data (N = 28), we examined specifically how mentors in the program supported adolescents’ competence needs. The findings highlight culturally responsive practices - including helping adolescents leverage their funds of knowledge as well as various strategies and perspectives for problem-solving during math activities - that afterschool programs and mentors can utilize to create supportive learning environments for competence needs that help to promote adolescents’ math motivational beliefs.