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Mediational analyses of motivational beliefs, affect, engagement, and achievement among high-ability and average-ability students in Singapore’s mathematics classrooms
Author
Tan, Liang See
Supervisor
Lau, Shun
Lim, Kam Ming
Abstract
Part 1 of this three-part dissertation investigates the patterns of relation between high-ability and average-ability students‟ beliefs in intelligence (entity and incremental beliefs), achievement goal orientations (mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals), and four student outcomes (achievement, persistence, effort regulation, and subjective well-being) in the context of mathematics learning in Singapore. Part 2 of the dissertation examines the relations of goal orientations, affect (interest and boredom) and student outcomes in the same context. Part 3 combined Part 1 and 2 to investigate the associations between belief in intelligence, goal orientations, affect variables and student outcomes. The sample consists of 1355 Secondary One students recruited from eleven secondary schools in Singapore. The instruments administered included the Raven‟s Advanced Progressive Matrices, the Attitude in Learning Math Survey and a standardized math achievement test. The sample was divided into high-ability and average-ability groups based on the Raven‟s score.
Each part of this empirical study consists of three phases of analyses. Phase 1 of Part 1 and 2 built the basic path models by establishing (a) the direct relations between belief in intelligence and student outcomes; and (b) the direct relations between belief in intelligence and goal orientation. Since the basic path models have been established in Part 1 and 2, these procedures were not necessary in Part 3. Phase 2 generated the meditational models in separate path models of the relevant variables in each part of the study. Phase 3 of Part 1 through 3 investigated the structural fit indices using multiple-group analyses and test of significance using Bootstrap Method for the path models.
Several key findings of this study have contributed to the literature in understanding belief about intelligence, goal orientations and the associated affect and student outcomes between average and high-ability students. The relation between entity belief and mastery-approach goal was positive for high-ability students but it was negatively related for average-ability students. Although the results for average-ability students were consistent with Dweck‟s (1986) theory, the results for high-ability students were not.
The relations between entity belief and mastery-approach goals; and performance-approach goal were positive for high-ability students but the relations were negative for average-ability students. The findings for average-ability students were consistent with studies in the literature, the relations between incremental belief and approach goals in high-ability students were not.
The relation between incremental belief and math achievement was mediated by mastery-approach goals for both ability groups. For high-ability students, decreased boredom further enhanced math performance. The negative relations between entity belief and math achievement were mediated by mastery-approach and performance-avoidance goals for average-ability students.
In line with Harackiewicz, Barron, Pintrich‟s (2002) findings on the adaptive potential of performance-approach goals, the positive relations between incremental belief and persistence; and effort regulation, were mediated by both the mastery and performance-approach goals for both ability groups. There were negative relations between entity belief and persistence; and effort regulation which were mediated by performance-avoidance goal for both ability groups. Specifically, for average-ability students, entity belief decreased approach goals but increased avoidance goals, in turn decreased the level of interest and increased boredom, which decreased the level of persistence. For high-ability students, however, the positive relations between entity belief and persistence were mediated by both mastery-approach and performance-avoidance goals, in which further mediated by interest, in turn increased level of persistence.
While there was no relation between belief about intelligence and subjective well-being for average-ability students, the relation was mediated by mastery-approach and interest for high-ability students. This finding echoes Elliot and Thrash‟s (2002) findings on positive associations with mastery-approach goal. These findings provide insights to differential learning experiences of learners with different abilities.
Consistent with Harackiewicz et al.‟s (1997) findings, for both ability groups (a) interest did not mediate the relation between goal orientations and math achievement; (b) the positive relations between interest and approach goals; and (c) the negative relation between interest and avoidance goals. It was found that there was positive relation between entity belief and interest which mediated by approach goals for high-ability students. However, it is the reversed pattern for average-ability students.
Similarly, boredom demonstrated between-group variations in the meditational relations between goal orientation and student outcomes. For instance, the negative relations between approach goals and math achievement were mediated by boredom for high-ability students. This relation does not appear in the path models for average-ability students. Boredom plays an important role in mediating the relations between entity belief and persistence for average-ability students, in which increased boredom decreased the level of persistence. Boredom, however, was not part of the path model for high-ability students. On the contrary, decreased boredom increased the level of persistence when average-ability students endorsed incremental belief. As for the relation between incremental belief and effort regulation, decreased boredom in turn increased the level of effort regulation for both ability groups.
These findings underscore the variations of the role of affect between the ability groups in this study.
Each part of this empirical study consists of three phases of analyses. Phase 1 of Part 1 and 2 built the basic path models by establishing (a) the direct relations between belief in intelligence and student outcomes; and (b) the direct relations between belief in intelligence and goal orientation. Since the basic path models have been established in Part 1 and 2, these procedures were not necessary in Part 3. Phase 2 generated the meditational models in separate path models of the relevant variables in each part of the study. Phase 3 of Part 1 through 3 investigated the structural fit indices using multiple-group analyses and test of significance using Bootstrap Method for the path models.
Several key findings of this study have contributed to the literature in understanding belief about intelligence, goal orientations and the associated affect and student outcomes between average and high-ability students. The relation between entity belief and mastery-approach goal was positive for high-ability students but it was negatively related for average-ability students. Although the results for average-ability students were consistent with Dweck‟s (1986) theory, the results for high-ability students were not.
The relations between entity belief and mastery-approach goals; and performance-approach goal were positive for high-ability students but the relations were negative for average-ability students. The findings for average-ability students were consistent with studies in the literature, the relations between incremental belief and approach goals in high-ability students were not.
The relation between incremental belief and math achievement was mediated by mastery-approach goals for both ability groups. For high-ability students, decreased boredom further enhanced math performance. The negative relations between entity belief and math achievement were mediated by mastery-approach and performance-avoidance goals for average-ability students.
In line with Harackiewicz, Barron, Pintrich‟s (2002) findings on the adaptive potential of performance-approach goals, the positive relations between incremental belief and persistence; and effort regulation, were mediated by both the mastery and performance-approach goals for both ability groups. There were negative relations between entity belief and persistence; and effort regulation which were mediated by performance-avoidance goal for both ability groups. Specifically, for average-ability students, entity belief decreased approach goals but increased avoidance goals, in turn decreased the level of interest and increased boredom, which decreased the level of persistence. For high-ability students, however, the positive relations between entity belief and persistence were mediated by both mastery-approach and performance-avoidance goals, in which further mediated by interest, in turn increased level of persistence.
While there was no relation between belief about intelligence and subjective well-being for average-ability students, the relation was mediated by mastery-approach and interest for high-ability students. This finding echoes Elliot and Thrash‟s (2002) findings on positive associations with mastery-approach goal. These findings provide insights to differential learning experiences of learners with different abilities.
Consistent with Harackiewicz et al.‟s (1997) findings, for both ability groups (a) interest did not mediate the relation between goal orientations and math achievement; (b) the positive relations between interest and approach goals; and (c) the negative relation between interest and avoidance goals. It was found that there was positive relation between entity belief and interest which mediated by approach goals for high-ability students. However, it is the reversed pattern for average-ability students.
Similarly, boredom demonstrated between-group variations in the meditational relations between goal orientation and student outcomes. For instance, the negative relations between approach goals and math achievement were mediated by boredom for high-ability students. This relation does not appear in the path models for average-ability students. Boredom plays an important role in mediating the relations between entity belief and persistence for average-ability students, in which increased boredom decreased the level of persistence. Boredom, however, was not part of the path model for high-ability students. On the contrary, decreased boredom increased the level of persistence when average-ability students endorsed incremental belief. As for the relation between incremental belief and effort regulation, decreased boredom in turn increased the level of effort regulation for both ability groups.
These findings underscore the variations of the role of affect between the ability groups in this study.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
LB1065 Tan
Date Submitted
2011