Expectancy-value Motivation Research Articles

Exploring the Direct Effect of Foreign Language Enjoyment on Expectancy-value Motivation and Indirect Effect on English Competence

Exploring the Direct Effect of Foreign Language Enjoyment on Expectancy-value Motivation and Indirect Effect on English Competence

Expectancy-Value Motivation and Physical Activity- and Health-Related Outcomes among At-Risk Children and Adolescents

Despite a large amount of research having been done to examine and promote physical activity and health among adolescents and children, relatively little attention has been paid attention to underrepresented populations. In this study, we investigated the relationships between expectancy-value motivation and physical activity- and health-related outcomes among a group of at-risk boys at a summer sports camp. The total participants included 107 boys (Mage = 11.78 years, SD = 1.20). The boys’ perceived expectancy beliefs (EXP), importance (IMP), interest (INT), usefulness (USE), effort (EFT), and intention for future participation (IFP) were assessed using established questions on a five-point Likert scale, and a PACER test was performed to estimate their cardiovascular fitness (CVF). Through a path analysis, we found that EXP positively predicted CVF (β = 0.19, p < 0.01), IMP positively predicted EFT (β = 0.26, p < 0.01), and INT positively predicted both EFT (β = 0.34, p < 0.01) and IFP (β = 0.28, p < 0.01), while USE had no statistically significant effect on either EFT, IFP, or CVF. We discussed the limitations and implications of the present study. We recommend including a diverse sample and employing the expectancy-value model in future research, and advocating expectancy beliefs and task values, especially importance and interest, among participants during physical activity promotion.

Differential relations among expectancy, task value, engagement, and academic performance: The role of generation status

IntroductionWe investigated differences in domain-general expectancy, value, and engagement in school by generation status and how the relationship among these constructs and academic performance differ by generation status.MethodsA total of 573 college students enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the study. We collected data on generation status, expectancy-value beliefs, school engagement, and official GPA data from participants, tested measurement invariance of expectancy-value beliefs and engagement between first-generation college students (FGCS) and continuing generation college students (CGCS), and conducted multigroup modeling to understand the differential relations of expectancy-value, engagement, and GPA between the two groups.ResultsWe discovered that the latent mean of expectancy beliefs differed significantly by generation status, with FGCS reporting higher expectancy than CGCS. There were no differences in the latent mean of task value. Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed that the effect of expectancy-value motivation on behavioral engagement was similar across groups, but its effect on cognitive engagement was greater for the FGCS than for the CGCS. For both groups, expectancy impacted academic performance via behavioral engagement. Finally, neither expectancy-value motivation nor cognitive engagement directly predicted academic performance for either group.DiscussionThe findings have important theoretical implications for understanding motivation and achievement of FGCS and CGCS and critical practical implications regarding undergraduate education.

The Medical Student Experience With Prework.

The objective of this study is to better understand the medical student experience with prework to determine what factors influence their motivation to complete prework. Medical education has been shifting to more active learning-type sessions such as flipped classrooms but these activities are unsuccessful when students do not complete the associated prework. The literature is lacking on why students do not complete prework and what would motivate them to do so. This qualitative study aims to answer those questions through the view of expectancy-value motivation theory. Thirteen preclinical medical students participated in a semistructured basic interview study investigating their experience with prework. Interview transcripts were coded, and codes were clustered and analyzed for themes. Students develop particular routines they find successful for their studies. They explain how time in their schedules and the amount of time prework takes to complete plays a role in their study environment which must be favorable in order to complete prework. Students view video prework more favorably compared to reading assignments. Students note how the opinions of their peers influence their decision to complete prework. Each of these factors influences student motivation to complete prework. This study finds that motivation to complete prework is influenced by the environment, format, and use of prework, student interest and prior knowledge, and peer influence. The combination of these factors determines whether a student believes they are capable of completing prework and if they find it valuable. In order to increase motivation to complete prework, faculty should consider how to address these factors in a way that students are able to fit prework into their study routines. This study provides the first step in understanding the medical student experience with prework and suggests directions for future studies to maximize student motivation to complete prework.

The Relationship Between Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety, Enjoyment, and Expectancy-Value Motivation and Their Predictive Effects on Chinese High School Students' Self-Rated Foreign Language Proficiency.

The present study explored the relations among foreign language (FL) classroom anxiety, enjoyment, expectancy-value motivation, and their predictive effects on Chinese high school students’ self-rated FL proficiency. Participants were 280 senior high school Chinese English as a foreign language learners who were surveyed on their foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and expectancy-value motivation. Results showed that (1) the students generally experienced a medium to a high level of FL classroom emotions with FLE slightly higher than FLCA. They were more value-motivated than expectancy-motivated toward FL learning. Most of them perceived their FL proficiency as unsatisfying; (2) the students’ FLE was significantly positively correlated with all dimensions of expectancy-value motivation, while their FLCA and expectancy-value motivation demonstrated a complex correlation pattern. As the students’ FLCA level increased, their expectancy beliefs, intrinsic value, attainment value, and utility value decreased, but their cost value increased. By contrast, as their FLE level increased, their expectancy beliefs, intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value all increased, while their cost value first increased and then slightly decreased; and (3) expectancy beliefs, intrinsic value, private enjoyment in FL learning and anxiety arising from fear of negative evaluation jointly significantly predicted the students’ self-rated FL proficiency. Implications for future research and teaching were also discussed.

A PRISMA review of expectancy-value theory in music contexts

In this article, we systematically reviewed the research literature dealing with expectancy-value motivation theory within music contexts. Employing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach, a total of 1,120 records were retrieved and examined, with 110 eventually included in the analyses. Frequencies/percentages were generated for research output in 5-year time periods, type of publication, sampling locations, and methodologies. Summaries of all 110 records were provided; content analyses on topics covered were also conducted. Findings indicated a clear increase in research interest over the past 15 years with quantitative methodologies being twice as prevalent as qualitative approaches. While the vast majority (97.7%) of quantitative research employed self-report questionnaires, the most common form of qualitative data collection was interviews (59.1%). Salient topics covered included students’ expectancy-value beliefs across music and other school subjects, continued music participation, intentions to pursue a career in music, and parental influences.

Learner Engagement in Optional Discussion Forums: A Reflection on An Online Statistics Course

When teaching pre-loaded and ready-to-use online courses, online instructors can integrate some optional discussion forums to tailor their instructions and to redirect teaching to meet instructional objectives. My teaching experiences, however, have revealed a lack of learner engagement in such optional discussion forums. Keeping this problem in mind, I explored possible ways to design and incorporate optional discussion forums in a pre-loaded online statistics course. Learners in this course were non-traditional doctoral learners, and they demonstrated satisfying engagement in these optional discussion forums. Therefore, in this reflection paper, I describe the process to design these optional discussion topics, evaluate learner engagement in optional discussion forums through three dimensions, and share major instructional strategies I used during this course to cultivate student engagement to work on these optional discussion topics. Keywords: Cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, deep learning, expectancy-value motivation theory, classroom assessment techniques

Relationships Among Middle School Students’ Expectancy Beliefs, Task Values, and Health-Related Fitness Performance

Purpose:The purpose of the study was to identify gender and body weight differences in Chinese adolescents’ perceived expectancy value (EV) motivation in their physical education (PE) class. The study also explored the relationship between EV and adolescents’ health-related fitness performances.Method:A group of seventh and eighth graders (N = 224) from China were measured on EV toward PE as well as health-related fitness levels. A two-way MANOVA test was used to examine gender and body weight differences in EV motivations. Several two-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between EV motivation and various fitness performances while controlling for the effects of gender and body weight.Results:Boys had higher expectancy beliefs and perceived their PE class as more interesting, useful, and important than girls did. Compared with overweight/obese students, students in the healthy weight group reported higher expectancy beliefs. When the effects of gender and body weight were accounted for, expectancy beliefs were the only reliable predictor influencing adolescents’ cardiorespiratory as well as muscular strength/endurance fitness levels.Discussion/Conclusion:Physical educators should use various teaching strategies to enhance students’ expectancy beliefs and task values. This is especially important for female students and overweight/obese students.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess Youth Motivation to Participate in Career Development Events

Career development events develop career and life skills in youth, but limited work has been done to assess the motivation of students who participate in these events. The purpose of this study was to validate an instrument developed to measure youth motivation to participate in career development events. An instrument grounded in expectancy-value motivation was developed to assess student motivation of youth participants (N = 2,153) at 12 career development events in various domains at the state level. Four factors—self-efficacy, cost & utility value, intrinsic value, and attainment—explained 60% of the variance in youth motivation to participate in state career development events. Youth were most motivated to participate in career development events based on the cost & utility factor, therefore, they were willing to put forth the time and effort to participate in career development events because they felt career development events would help them achieve their goals. However, youth coaches should consider using strategies to develop youth self-efficacy to perform the tasks in career development events as it explained 39% of the variance in youth motivation. Coaches should also consider the role interest motivation plays a role as it was highly correlated with self-efficacy.

Do High-Ability Students Disidentify With Science? A Descriptive Study of U.S. Ninth Graders in 2009

The present study describes science expectancy-value motivation classes within a nationally representative sample of students who were U.S. ninth graders in 2009. An expectancy-value model was the basis for science-specific profile indicators (self- efficacy, attainment value, utility value, interest-enjoyment value). Using exploratory latent class analysis, a four-class model was identified as the best model, based on model fit and interpretability. Although the low and typical profiles had uniform levels of indicators, the two high motivation profiles (high self-efficacyandhigh utility value) had mixed levels. The profile characterized by very high self-efficacy had lower values, while the profile charac- terized by high utility value had lower self-efficacy. The differences in math achievement between profiles were small. High-ability students disidentified with science; only 29% of high-ability students had high science expectancy-value profiles. The implications for science talent development are discussed. C

Are Students With High Ability in Math More Motivated in Math and Science Than Other Students?

Expectancy-value motivation profiles were identified in a sample of US ninth-grade students in 2009 (n = 19,259) using latent profile analysis. Of four distinct profiles, two were high, one typical, and one low in math and in science. In each area, the two high profiles were distinguished by (1) high self-efficacy with lower utility value and (2) high utility value with lower self-efficacy. High-ability was identified by a math score at least one standard deviation above the mean within the race/ethnicity group. Forty-one percent of high-ability students had high math motivation, while only 27% had high science motivation. Evidence of disidentification was observed. Some high-ability students had low motivation in math (15%) and science (28%). Implications for talent development and gifted education are discussed.

Impact of Expectancy-Value and Situational Interest Motivation Specificity on Physical Education Outcomes

To be successful in learning, students need to be motivated to engage and learn. The domain-specificity motivation theory articulates that student motivation is often determined by the content being taught to them. The purpose of this study was to extend the theory by determining domain-specificity of situational interest and expectancy-value motivation in terms of engagement and achievement outcomes in physical education. A random student sample (N = 346) from eight Chinese middle schools provided data of situational interest, expectancy-value, engagement, and knowledge and skills acquired. Results from correlation, regression, and structural equation model analyses revealed causal inferences demonstrating differentiated effects of motivation components on the outcome measures: task values were specific to knowledge outcome, expectancy beliefs to skills, and situational interest to engagement. The findings imply that physical educators need to adopt motivation strategies compatible to specific learning outcomes to maximize student motivation for engagement and achievement.

Adolescent Expectancy-Value Motivation, Achievement in Physical Education, and Physical Activity Participation

This study examined the relation between adolescent expectancy-value motivation, achievements, and after-school physical activity participation. Adolescents (N = 854) from 12 middle schools completed an expectancy-value motivation questionnaire, pre and posttests in psychomotor skill and health-related fitness knowledge tests, and a three-day after-school Physical Activity Recall. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to test an a priori model. Results revealed that expectancy belief significantly predicted adolescent psychomotor achievement, and that psychomotor achievement was the only direct significant predictor for physical activity participation (p < .05). Expectancy belief and task values were not significantly directly associated with adolescent physical activity participation (p > .05). The findings suggested the relation between adolescent expectancy-value motivation and physical activity participation is likely to be mediated by their psychomotor skill achievement.

Ninth Graders’ Energy Balance Knowledge and Physical Activity Behavior: An Expectancy-Value Perspective

Expectancy beliefs and task values are two essential motivators in physical education. This study was designed to identify the relation between the expectancy-value constructs (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995) and high school students’ physical activity behavior as associated with their energy balance knowledge. High school students (N = 195) in two healthful-living programs (i.e., combination of physical and health education) responded to measures of expectancy-value motivation, energy balance knowledge, in-class physical activity, and after-school physical activity. The structural equation modeling confirmed positive impact from expectancy beliefs and interest value to in-class physical activity (Path coefficient range from .19 to .26, ps < .01). Cost perception was found exerting a negative impact on after-school physical activity but a positive one on lower level of understanding of energy balance (Path coefficient range from -.33 to -.39, ps < .01). The findings painted a complex but meaningful picture about the motivational impact of expectancy-value constructs on physical activity and energy balance knowledge. School healthful-living programs should create motivational environments that strengthen students’ expectancy beliefs and interest value and alleviate their negative perceptions and experiences.

Do test design and uses influence test preparation? Testing a model of washback with Structural Equation Modeling

This study introduces Expectancy-value motivation theory to explain the paths of influences from perceptions of test design and uses to test preparation as a special case of washback on learning. Based on this theory, two conceptual models were proposed and tested via Structural Equation Modeling. Data collection involved over 870 test takers of College English Test Band 4 in China. A perception of assessment questionnaire was given at the beginning of a 10-week preparation period; a test preparation questionnaire was given eight weeks later. Test takers who endorsed high-stakes, instrumental test uses as the primary purpose for taking the test tended to value test taking; test takers who perceived test design positively tended to attach high importance to test taking and appeared more confident. Furthermore, higher endorsed task value and higher expectation of test success jointly contributed to greater engagement in test preparation. Knowledge of the test was also related to increased self-regulation in test preparation and more practice of test-taking skills.

Adolescent expectancy-value motivation and learning: A disconnected case in physical education

This study reports adolescent expectancy-value motivation, and its relation to fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning in physical education. Students ( N = 854) from 12 middle schools provided data on expectancy-value motivation, fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning. Results from dependent t-test and MANOVA indicated that 8th grade students rated task values significantly lower than 6th grade while their expectancy beliefs did not significantly differ. Students gained sizable fitness knowledge ( d = 0.58, p < 0.05) and badminton skill ( d = 1.40, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses revealed that expectancy-value motivation did not significantly predict learning in fitness knowledge or psychomotor skills. These findings suggest that expectancy-value motivation might predict engagement and performance, but not necessarily learning achievement in physical education.

Malaysian children's attitudes towards learning music

A sample of 1060 Malaysian children were surveyed in order to examine differences in their motivation to study music in school and to learn a musical instrument outside of school. Adopting the expectancy-value motivation theory, the children were asked questions concerning their perception of music as being important, useful, interesting, enjoyable and easy/difficult. Results show subtle differences according to the five ethnic groups (Malay Muslims, Chinese Buddhists, Chinese Christians, Indian Hindus and Indian Christians), the children's previous musical experiences and also gender. In general, Chinese Christian and Indian Christian children were more motivated to study music than the other groups, and girls reported an overall higher level of motivation than boys. The results help to frame how music is perceived as a school subject within Malaysian society and suggest priorities for advocating music within the Malaysian educational system.

Task Values, Cost, and Choice Decisions in College Physical Education

The expectancy-value motivation theory postulates that motivation can be achieved when perceived values in an activity override perceived cost of the activity derived from the effort of achieving. This study was designed to examine types of perceived cost in physical education and the extent to which the cost might affect motivation. Data about attainment, intrinsic, and utility values in physical education were collected using surveys from college students (n = 368) in China. Perceived cost was investigated through open-ended written responses and interviews. Disappointment about the curriculum emerged as a major cost to motivation and lack of student autonomy was identified as a direct demotivating factor. Despite the cost, most of the students (92%) indicated they would, if given a choice, elect to continue physical education for health benefits and broader motivational impact in life, suggesting that strong positive values of physical activity might override the impact of cost. The findings suggest the importance of emphasizing positive values of physical activity in physical education.

Content Specificity of Expectancy Beliefs and Task Values in Elementary Physical Education

The curriculum may superimpose a content-specific context that mediates motivation (Bong, 2001). This study examined content specificity of the expectancy-value motivation in elementary school physical education. Students' expectancy beliefs and perceived task values from a cardiorespiratory fitness unit, a muscular fitness unit, and a traditional skill/game unit were analyzed using constant comparison coding procedures, multivariate analysis of variance, χ2, and correlation analyses. There was no difference in the intrinsic interest value among the three content conditions. Expectancy belief, attainment, and utility values were significantly higher for the cardiorespiratory fitness curriculum. Correlations differentiated among the expectancyvalue components of the content conditions, providing further evidence of content specificity in the expectancy-value motivation process. The findings suggest that expectancy beliefs and task values should be incorporated in the theoretical platform for curriculum development based on the learning outcomes that can be specified with enhanced motivation effect.

Racial Identity, Centrality and Giftedness: An Expectancy-Value Application of Motivation in Gifted African American Students

This article explores the interaction between racial and ethnic identity, racial centrality, and giftedness and then uses an expectancy-value motivation model as a framework for understanding how the interplay among racial identity, centrality, and giftedness contributes to the motivation of African American gifted students. The analysis begins by defining racial and ethnic identity and discussing their relationship to racial centrality. Next, the interactions among racial and ethnic identity, centrality, and some socio-emotional aspects associated with giftedness are examined. An expectancy-value model then provides a framework for understanding how race centrality, racial/ethnic identity, and giftedness influence the motivational patterns of gifted African American students. Suggestions for future research are provided.