Students’ self-determined motivation and negative emotions in mathematics in lower secondary education—Investigating reciprocal relations

Abstract

Based on self-determination theory and control-value theory, the present study examined the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between students’ self-determined motivation (intrinsic and identified motivation) and negative academic emotions (anxiety, anger, and boredom) in mathematics. In a longitudinal study, 348 seventh grade students (51.4% girls) completed three self-report measures (t0–t2) assessing their motivation and emotions at the beginning and end of seventh grade as well as at the end of eighth grade. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to test cross-lagged panel models of reciprocal effects between self-determined motivation and each emotion, controlling for prior achievement and gender. Over the course of seventh grade (t0–t1), exclusively unidirectional, negative effects between self-determined motivation and anger, anxiety, and boredom were found. The direction of the relationship was the same for all emotions in terms of the impact from students’ emotions on their motivation from t0 to t1, with one exception that indicated the reverse association: there was a negative relation from intrinsic motivation to boredom. During the eighth grade (t1–t2), the analyses revealed no further significant cross-lagged effects. Implications for educational practices and future research on motivation and emotion are discussed.