Self-confidence and motivation in mathematics.

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to determine the extent to which self-confidence in mathematics could be explained from motivation/attribution variables and to investigate whether students make attributions for their successes and failures in mathematics. Variables measured by means of existing self-report scales were self-confidence in learning mathematics and attributional style. Four self-report scales were developed for this study to measure other motivational variables within the content domain of mathematics. All measures were completed by 489 seventh-grade students. Results indicated that significant portions of the variance in self-confidence scores could be explained from the other variables. Significant, positive intercorrelations among all variables showed that relations among the variables were in the direction expected. Students did, on the average, report thinking about the reasons for their successes and failures in mathematics, and they reported making attributions for failure more often than attributions for success.

Self-efficacy and achievement behaviors

“…Over a longer time, effort feedback for successes on the same task could lose its effectiveness; as students become more skillful they might wonder why they still have to work hard to succeed. Kloosterman (1988) obtained additional evidence for the relationship between attributions and efficacy. Seventh graders judged attributions for their successes and failures in mathematics and completed a measure of mathematical efficacy in which subjects rated their self-confidence to learn and perform mathematical tasks.…”

Selecting a Business Major Within the College of Business

“…Given the well-established importance of self-efficacy as an influence on students' decisions regarding the selection of a college major, providing both academic support (e.g., help labs, extended office hours, review sessions) and encouragement aimed at increasing the likelihood that students attribute successful performance to ability and self-efficacy rather than to effort or luck would also be appropriate. Self-efficacy attributions may be particularly important for female students (Dweck, 1999(Dweck, , 2006Kloosterman, 1988;Roach et al, 2011). Increased numbers of female instructors for disciplines with a gender imbalance (like MIS) could be helpful in showing young women that "they can do it. "…”

Motivation and attitude of preservice elementary teachers toward mathematics : is rural revevant?

“…The attitudinal research selected for this review targets attitudes toward mathematics specifically, and much of it focuses on gender issues (e. g. Fennema & Sherman, 1976aKarp, 1988;Kloosterman, 1988;Ma & Kishor, 1997;McMillan, 1976). This research is particularly salient to the present study because elementary teachers are predominantly female.…”

“…Those who feel success is due to effort are labeled mastery-oriented, and those who believe effort is useless and will not lead to success are labeled learned helpless (Diener & Dweck, 1978;Dweck, 1975;Kloosterman, 1988).…”