Motivational Beliefs Research Articles

Feeling joy × feeling competent: Predicting math-related occupational aspirations from math grades, gender, and parents’ occupational background via motivational beliefs.

Feeling joy × feeling competent: Predicting math-related occupational aspirations from math grades, gender, and parents’ occupational background via motivational beliefs.

FACTORS INFLUENCING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF B40 AND T20 FAMILIES IN MALAYSIA

Abstract Parental involvement (PI) is crucial for children's educational success, particularly in learning English as a Second Language (ESL). In Malaysia, PI in their children’s ESL learning could be insufficient, with parents potentially not providing adequate support for their children's education. Socioeconomic disparities may also impact the level and nature of parental engagement in children's education This qualitative study explores factors influencing parental involvement in ESL learning among low-income (B40) and high-income (T20) families in Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents of children attending Malaysian primary public schools, with 6 parents from each income group, selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the findings, focusing on motivational beliefs, perceptions of invitations, and life contexts as influencing factors. Despite facing financial constraints and time limitations, B40 parents demonstrated resourcefulness and dedication, while T20 parents had more opportunities to support their children. The study underscores the importance of enhancing communication, implementing targeted support programs, and fostering a more inclusive school environment to empower all parents as active partners in their children's ESL learning journey.

Mediating roles of motivational beliefs and vocabulary learning strategies for the relationship between self‐regulation and vocabulary proficiency

Mediating roles of motivational beliefs and vocabulary learning strategies for the relationship between self‐regulation and vocabulary proficiency

Cross-Lagged Associations Among Expectancy-Value-Cost Beliefs in Adolescent Students’ Mathematics Academic Outcomes

To explore students’ math motivation from a situated expectancy-value perspective, we investigated the longitudinal interrelations among self-efficacy, interest value, utility value, and effort cost, along with their connections to academic achievement and future choice intentions over one year. The latent cross-lagged path model, based on a sample of 626 Chinese adolescent students, revealed a bidirectional relationship between self-efficacy and effort cost within a semester. Previous self-efficacy and interest value also negatively predicted subsequent effort cost across semesters. Additionally, prior interest value had a lasting positive effect on later self-efficacy and utility value across semesters. Regarding the distinct predictive relationships between motivational beliefs and academic outcomes, self-efficacy and interest positively predicted future choice intentions and academic achievement, while effort cost negatively predicted achievement. In conclusion, the longitudinal dynamics and predictive utility of students’ motivational beliefs are complex and ever-changing, suggesting that future research should differentiate between more specific value facets and explore domain-specific motivation.

Towards a multidimensional measure of self-efficacy in the adult learning ecosystem

ABSTRACT For adults engaged in formal learning, self-efficacy judgements may have substantial impact on key learning attitudes and outcomes. A complex systems/person-centric perspective emphasises the importance of contextual features of adult life, yet extant study of self-efficacy is largely constrained to judgements of competence in course activities. This approach may omit critical information about adult learners’ motivational beliefs. We developed a multidimensional measure of adult learning self-efficacy and provided initial validation data using a sample of 1200 working adults in an online Masters of Computer Science degree program. Our results suggest that adult learning self-efficacy (SE) is a multidimensional construct assessing self-perceived competence in 1) integrating learning and non-learning demands (Adaptive SE), 2) achieving mastery of course content (Academic SE), and 3) leveraging learning for professional growth (Transfer SE). Academic SE was further distinguishable by efficacy for memory and problem solving (Academic-MP) and for maintaining attentional focus (Academic-F). Our measure contributes to the literature on adult learning ecosystems by expanding research on motivational beliefs to include self-efficacy for managing critical contextual features of adult learning.

Exploring the Relationship between Motivational Beliefs on Self-Regulated Learning Strategies among Chemical Engineering Students

Exploring the Relationship between Motivational Beliefs on Self-Regulated Learning Strategies among Chemical Engineering Students

A Pilot Study of BRAIN BOOTCAMP, a Low-Intensity Intervention on Diet, Exercise, Cognitive Activity, and Social Interaction to Improve Older Adults’ Dementia Risk Scores

BackgroundLittle is known about the impact of short, low-intensity multidomain dementia risk reduction interventions in older adults.ObjectivesTo examine the effectiveness and feasibility of a low-intensity multidomain lifestyle intervention on dementia risk and dementia literacy in Australian older adults.DesignSingle-group pre-post design.SettingCommunity-dwelling.ParticipantsA total of 853 older Australians (Mean age=73.3 years, SD=6.1) recruited from the community.InterventionA 3-month dementia risk reduction program, BRAIN BOOTCAMP, including education, personalised risk information, physical cues for healthier choices and goal setting and planning to target four modifiable risk factors of diet, exercise, cognitive activity and social interaction in older adults.MeasurementsThe ‘LIfestyle for BRAin health’ (LIBRA) index was used to assess participants’ modifiable dementia risk based on 12 factors, with higher scores indicating greater risk. Dementia literacy was measured using a modified questionnaire derived from Dutch and British surveys, encompassing knowledge, risk reduction, and awareness aspects. Paired t-tests were used to compare dementia risk scores and dementia literacy before and after the program. Multivariate regressions were performed to identify sociodemographic and psychological factors associated with change in the LIBRA index.ResultsProgram attrition was high (58.3%). Participants who completed the program had decreased dementia risk scores (Cohen’s d=0.59, p<0.001), increased dementia literacy and awareness (Cohen’s d=0.64, p<0.001) and increased motivation to change lifestyle behaviors (Cohen’s d=0.25–0.52, p<0.016). Participants with higher motivational beliefs had greater dementia risk reduction.ConclusionsImproving older adults’ motivation and knowledge may help modify lifestyle behaviors to reduce dementia risk. However, program attrition remains a challenge, suggesting the need for strategies to enhance participant engagement and retention in such interventions.

The intraindividual dynamics of university students' motivation and emotions: The role of autonomy-supportive learning climates and learning activities.

The motivation and emotions of students are context dependent. There are specific moments when students may find their coursework more or less motivating, resulting in stronger or milder emotional responses. Identifying factors directly controllable by teachers empowers them to effectively address challenging situations characterized by lower motivation and increased negative emotions. We aimed to investigate how learning activities and students' perception of teaching practices fostering autonomy relate to competence and value beliefs, and emotions in the context of course participation within higher education. Seventy-seven Taiwanese university students provided 762 learning reports associated with their course participation experiences. The experience sampling method (ESM) was used. Participants responded to ESM surveys on their phones for 14 days, reporting motivational beliefs, emotions and contextual characteristics of the course if they indicated active participation in a course upon receiving notifications from their phones. A significant portion of the variation is attributed to situational fluctuation, suggesting that academic emotions and competence and value beliefs vary within students across measurements. An increase in students' perception of an autonomy-supportive learning climate correlates with higher competence beliefs, intrinsic value and positive emotions, coupled with reduced perceived costs and negative emotions. In contrast to lectures, engaging in independent hands-on work, participating in group collaborative projects or interactive discussions appear to inspire motivation or evoke stronger emotional responses in students. Teachers' teaching practices and classroom learning activities play a pivotal role in shaping students' situational motivation and emotions.

The motivational beliefs and attitudes about writing of international students enrolled in online academic English classes during the COVID-19 pandemic

The motivational beliefs and attitudes about writing of international students enrolled in online academic English classes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring the motivational mechanisms of growth beliefs on perseverance among EFL students: The role of ideal and ought‐to L2 selves

AbstractPerseverance of effort is essential for success in learning a second language (L2). While past research has examined how motivational beliefs (e.g., growth mindset) influence L2 learners’ perseverance, their generalizability and underlying motivational mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between growth language mindsets and perseverance of efforts in L2 learning, as well as whether this relationship can be explained by the ideal L2 self and ought‐to L2 self. A cohort of 740 EFL students from four universities in China completed a questionnaire. The results revealed that EFL learners with higher levels of growth language mindsets showed greater levels of perseverance in language learning. Furthermore, mediation analysis indicated that growth language mindsets indirectly predicted perseverance through both the ideal L2 self and the ought‐to L2 self. These results suggested that the motivational mechanisms associated with growth language mindsets are complex, involving both ideal and ought‐to images of the L2 self, which in turn could contribute to sustaining perseverance in L2 learning. Theoretical and practical implications for researchers and language teachers are discussed in light of these findings.

The effectiveness of parental assistance-based online learning model on self-efficacy

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;The obstacles experienced during online learning are inevitable circumstances. Hence, students need to have motivational beliefs that they have the ability to thrive in online learning despite its difficulties. Applying parental-based online learning is expected to help students increase their self-efficacy. This study examines the effect of using an online learning model based on parental assistance on students’ self-efficacy with a quantitative approach. This type of research is quasi-experimental, with a pre and post-test control group design by studying seventh-grade students in several public junior high schools in Kisaran. The study found that applying an online learning model based on parental assistance improved students’ self-efficacy more than a conventional online learning model. Consequently, parental assistance will make a practical contribution to the implementation of learning, especially in the implementation of online learning in the era of the pandemic and after the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/span&gt;

Development in context: Comparing short-term trajectories of expectancy, task values, and costs in four university STEM courses

University students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) tend to lose motivation, on average, over time. However, detailed understanding of when and how students are most likely to lose motivation, as well as whether motivational trajectories differ across contexts, is lacking. Accordingly, we investigated trajectories of expectancy, task values, and perceived costs in four introductory STEM courses (N = 2,104). Latent change score models revealed nuanced patterns of change, indicating average motivational declines in expectancy and task values and average increases in cost perceptions observed in prior research tend to occur primarily at the beginning of the semester. Motivational trajectories also differed in the shape and timing of mean changes across the four STEM courses, suggesting motivational loss trends may not be universal. Variation in trajectories also related to course performance and major persistence, with different motivational beliefs playing different roles at various times in the semester. Findings highlighted the importance of early course performance in predicting motivational change, as well as the importance of motivational changes for short- and long-term outcomes. Findings underscore the contextualized nature of motivational constructs, as both change patterns and relations to correlates differed across settings, indicating a need for researchers to carefully consider how samples are aggregated and further uncover contextual features that shape motivation. Overall, our study findings add essential understanding of motivational strengths and needs in real-world classroom contexts, with implications for the design and timing of intervention for instructors by examining what developmental patterns are common across settings and which are more particular to specific settings.

An Evolutionary Approach to Motivation and Learning: Differentiating Biologically Primary and Secondary Knowledge

The ubiquity of formal education in modern nations is often accompanied by an assumption that students’ motivation for learning is innate and self-sustaining. The latter is true for most children in domains (e.g., language) that are universal and have a deep evolutionary history, but this does not extend to learning in evolutionarily novel domains (e.g., mathematics). Learning in evolutionarily novel domains requires more cognitive effort and thus is less motivating. The current study tested the associated hypothesis that learning will feel easier and more motivating for evolutionarily relevant (e.g., “mother,” “food”) than evolutionarily novel (e.g., “computer,” “gravity”) word pairs and that a growth mindset emphasizing the importance of effort in learning might moderate this effect. Specifically, 144 adults were presented with 32 word pairs (half evolutionarily relevant and half evolutionarily novel) and were randomly assigned to a growth mindset or a control condition. Evolutionarily relevant words were better remembered than evolutionarily novel words (d = 0.65), and the learning was reported as more enjoyable (d = 0.49), more interesting (d = 0.38), as well as less difficult (d = − 0.96) and effortful (d = − 0.78). Although the growth mindset intervention fostered a mindset belief, compared to the control condition, it did not lead to improved recall performance or changes in motivational beliefs. These results are consistent with the prediction of higher motivation and better learning of evolutionarily relevant words and concepts than for evolutionarily novel words and concepts. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.

Longitudinal associations between Latine parents' support and their adolescents' science motivation and STEM career expectations.

Parents' science support and adolescents' motivational beliefs are associated with adolescents' expectations for their future occupations; however, these associations have been mostly investigated among White, middle-class samples. Framed by situated expectancy-value theory, the current study investigated: (1) the associations between parents' science support in 9th grade and Latine adolescents' science intrinsic value, utility value, and STEM career expectations in 11th grade, and (2) whether these indicators and the relations among them differed by adolescents' gender and parents' education. Study participants included Latine adolescents (n = 3060; Mage = 14.4 years old; 49% female) in the United States from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Analyses revealed a significant, positive association between parents' science support and Latine adolescents' science utility value. Additionally, there was a significant, positive association between parents' science support and Latinas' science intrinsic value, but not for Latinos' science intrinsic value. Latine adolescents' science utility value, but not their science intrinsic value, predicted their concurrent STEM career expectations. Though there were no significant mean level differences in adolescents' science utility value or parents' science support based on adolescents' gender, the measure of adolescents' science intrinsic value varied across girls and boys. Finally, adolescents whose parents had a college degree received greater science support from parents compared to adolescents whose parents had less education than a college degree. Findings suggest parents' science support and adolescents' intrinsic and utility values have potential associations with Latine adolescents' STEM career expectations near the end of high school.

The relations between growth mindset, motivational beliefs, and career interest in math intensive fields in informal STEM youth programs.

Past research has shown that growth mindset and motivational beliefs have an important role in math and science career interest in adolescence. Drawing on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), this study extends these findings by investigating the role of parental motivational beliefs (e.g., expectancy beliefs, utility values) and parent growth mindset in math on adolescent career interest in math-intensive fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering; MCSE) through adolescent motivational beliefs in math. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model using data from 290 adolescents (201 girls, 69.3%; Mage = 15.20), who participate in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) youth programs, and their parents (162 parents, 87.7% female) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As hypothesized, adolescent expectancy beliefs, utility values, and growth mindset in math had a significant direct effect on MCSE career interest. Further, there was a significant indirect effect of parental expectancy beliefs in math on MCSE career interest through adolescents' expectancy beliefs. Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect from parental utility values in math to MCSE career interest through adolescents' utility values. The findings suggest that parents' math motivational beliefs play a critical role in adolescent math motivational beliefs and their career interest in math-intensive fields.

Examining changes in adolescents' high school math and science motivational beliefs and their relations to parental STEM support and STEM major choice at the intersectionality of gender and college generation status.

Drawing on the situated expectancy-value, dimensional comparison theories, and the intersectionality approach, this article examined the changes in adolescents' math and science motivational beliefs, the parental and college correlates of those beliefs, and the differences at the intersection of gender and college generation status (i.e., female and male first- and continuing-generation college students). Findings based on the nationally representative high-school longitudinal study data (N = 12,070; Mage = 14 years; 54% female students; 28% first-generation college students; and 14% Latinx, 9% Black, 10% Asian, and 57% White) suggest that although adolescents' math and science ability self-concepts declined during high school, their science interest remained stable, and their math and science utility values increased. Adolescents' motivational beliefs in ninth grade and the changes from ninth to 11th grade positively predicted whether they declared a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college major. Parents' ninth-grade STEM support was more consistently associated with adolescents' concurrent beliefs compared to the changes in their beliefs. Finally, we found that female first-generation college students, who were more likely to be Latinx and Black students, tended to have lower math and science motivational beliefs, received less parental STEM support, and were less likely to choose a STEM major than their peers. The findings of this study indicate adolescents' math and science motivational development in high school matters for their college majors and that certain understudied groups, including female first-generation college students, may experience acute marginalization in STEM and warrant further attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Trajectories of math expectancies for success and values in Latinx and Asian students.

The heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of math motivational beliefs (i.e., expectancies for success and subjective task value beliefs) was examined among Asian and Latinx male and female students from Southern California across Grades 8 through 10 (n = 2,710; 50% female; 85% Latinx; 15% Asian; Mage = 13.77). By conducting growth mixture modeling, we identified two classes of stable trajectories for expectancies for success; five classes of stable, decreasing, or increasing trajectories for interest and utility value; and three classes of stable, decreasing, or increasing trajectories for attainment value. The group comparisons demonstrated that variability exists in adolescents' motivational belief development at the intersection of their race/ethnicity and gender for some trajectories. For example, Latina adolescents were more likely to maintain moderate expectancies for success than high expectancies for success compared to Latino and Asian male adolescents, but Asian female adolescents did not differ in their level of expectancies for success from the two male groups. Also, we found Latina adolescents displayed smaller decreases in interest compared to Asian female adolescents and in utility value compared to Latino adolescents. The findings from the present study challenge traditional stereotypes in math and highlight positive motivational belief development in students who are marginalized in math (e.g., Latina adolescents). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived formative assessment and student motivational beliefs and self-regulation strategies: a multilevel analysis

Based on an integrated theory of formative assessment and self-regulated learning, this study investigated the relationship between students’ perceived formative assessment practices of teachers and their motivational beliefs (self-efficacy and incremental beliefs of ability) and self-regulation strategies (metacognitive self-regulation and adaptive help seeking). Participants were 1,939 secondary school students (nested in 94 classes) from Singapore, who completed an online questionnaire. After controlling for gender, stream, and grade, we conducted a multilevel path analysis to examine the hypothesised relationships at both student and class levels. We found that at the student level, perceived formative assessment was associated positively with self-efficacy, incremental beliefs of ability, metacognitive self-regulation, and adaptive help seeking; at the class level, perceived formative assessment was associated positively with incremental beliefs of ability and adaptive help seeking. The findings highlight the importance of investigating formative assessment as a multilevel construct and its role in developing self-regulated learning of students.

Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Training and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Improving Psychological Distress and Motivational Beliefs in Students with a Parental Death Experience: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background: The loss of a parent significantly affects the academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being of students. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychology training and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing psychological distress and improving motivational beliefs among students who have experienced the loss of a parent. Methods: This quasi-experimental study adopted a pretest-posttest follow-up design and included two experimental groups and one control group. The research focused on female secondary school students in Ahvaz, Iran, who were grieving the death of a parent. Sixty participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (n = 20 each). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS 23. Results: The findings indicated that both positive psychology training and ACT significantly impacted the participants' psychological distress and motivational beliefs. There were significant differences between the effects of positive psychology training and ACT, with positive psychology training showing a more substantial influence on reducing psychological distress and enhancing motivational beliefs than ACT. Conclusions: This study concludes that both positive psychology training and ACT are effective in boosting motivational beliefs and mitigating psychological distress among students grieving the loss of a parent.

International comparative study of motivation: a commentary

AbstractIn this commentary, I focus on an international, collaborative, longitudinal study of the development of elementary school students’ math motivation and performance across six countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, and Serbia. The investigators designed motivational questionnaires to assess student motivational beliefs defined quite broadly, teacher and student questionnaires to assess teacher beliefs and practices, and family questionnaires to assess parents’ beliefs and practices as well as perceptions of their children and then tested to reliability and validity of these measures across all six countries so that they could investigate both development within countries and generalizability across countries. I focus my comparative comments on the following themes that cut across the various studies: the gender, national and SES differences, the impact of teacher beliefs and practices, the impact of parents, and the testing hypotheses derived from various social cognitive motivational systems.