Doctor in Education (Ed.D.)

This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of upper primary students’ motivations towards mathematics from the stance of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991) as well as the 3 × 2 achievement goal model posited by Elliot, Murayama, & Pekrun (2011). Students’ behavioural regulations (autonomous and controlled motivations), cognitive-behavioural outcomes (test-taking strategies, homework completion, organisation, effort and perseverance, classroom attentiveness and elaboration), socio-emotional outcomes (anxiety, hopelessness, satisfaction in mathematics class, academic buoyancy and collaboration) and mathematics performance were examined with achievement goals’ taskbased, self-based and other-based goals conceptually considered as mediators. Self-report instruments were administered to a sample of 491 Singapore elementary students (54% girls; M_age=11 years) at two time points, in terms 2 and 3.

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that at time-1, task-based goals and self-based goals were both significant mediators in linking behavioural regulations to all cognitive-behavioural outcomes as well as to some of the socio-emotional outcomes, particularly anxiety and collaboration. Task-based goals were the only achievement goal which significantly mediated the relationship between behavioural regulations (autonomous and controlled motivation) to academic buoyancy and mathematics performance. As for other-based goals, they were non-significant in mediating behavioural regulations to all outcomes.

Results at time-2 showed that task-based goals were a significant mediator in linking autonomous motivation to all cognitive-behavioural outcomes. Similar to time-1, self-based goals significantly mediated both behavioural regulations to all cognitive-behavioural outcomes and to anxiety and collaboration. At time-2, other-based goals significantly mediated the relations between autonomous motivation and effort and perseverance and between controlled motivation to organisation, effort and perseverance and elaboration. The same achievement goal also significantly mediated the relationship between controlled motivation and anxiety, academic buoyancy and collaboration. Task-based goals were the only achievement goal which was a significant mediator in the relationship between autonomous motivation and mathematics performance.

Generally, the findings of the current study suggest that autonomous motivation underlying task-based goals is associated to more adaptive education outcomes. As for selfbased goals, although it is a component of mastery goal, it heightened the effect of controlled motivation on anxiety and cancelled out the benefits of autonomous motivation in reducing anxiety. Hence, it is not as adaptive towards educational outcomes compared to task-based goals and should be promoted with care. Therefore, classroom practices should be aimed at promoting autonomous motivation and task-based goals.