Students’ Motivation for Standardized Math Exams

Abstract

The recent No Child Left Behind legislation has defined a vital role for large-scale assessment in determining whether students are learning. Given this increased role of standardized testing as a means of accountability, the purpose of this article is to consider how individual differences in motivational and psychological processes may contribute to performance on high-stakes math assessments. The authors consider individual differences in processes that prior research has found to be important to achievement: achievement goals, value, self-concept, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and cognitive processes. The authors present excerpts from interviews with eighth-grade test takers to illustrate these different achievement-related motivational beliefs, affect, and cognitive processing. Implications for future research studying the situational pressures involved in high-stakes assessments are discussed.

Does math self-efficacy mediate the effect of the perceived classroom environment on standardized math test performance?

“…remedial or special education programs), determine school eligibility for federal funding, make decisions about whether principals, Math Self-efficacy 8 teachers, and staff are offered continued employment, and determine whether or not teachers get bonuses. Several researchers have argued that the implementation of NCLB has led to a focus on testing and evaluation that permeates the school environment (Meece, Anderman, & Anderman, 2006;Ryan et al, 2007). It is important to examine how student motivation (e.g.…”

Teaching Practices and Student Motivation that Influence Student Achievement on Large-Scale Assessments

“…The results of the PCA, using the student questionnaire, revealed two student motivation components, which were interpreted as task-value and effort (Wigfield & Cambria, 2010). These two components were related to expectancy-value theory and are important to understand the achievement of a student in the context of a large-scale assessment (Ryan et al, 2007).…”

“…Ryan et al (2007) presented a detailed review of the theoretical and empirical literature on motivation constructs and processes that have a role in students" motivation on large-scale assessments. The constructs and processes included students" achievement goals, values, self-concept, self-efficacy, text anxiety and cognitive processes.…”

“…Zerpa et al argued that students" task-values and effort are significant predictors of their academic achievement on a large-scale assessment. When a student values the outcome of the large-scale assessment, there is a greater likelihood that the student will be personally motivated and makes a conscious effort to engage with the tasks to the best of his or her ability (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002;Ryan et al, 2007).…”

“…Student motivation to achieve on large-scale assessments may be an indication of overall willingness to achieve at school. Among a variety of school-related factors, teaching practices, particularly those centered on the learner, have been shown to impact student motivation whether in the classroom or during large-scale assessments (Kelley, Heneman, & Milanowski, 2000;McCombs & Whisler, 1997;Ryan, Ryan, Arbuthnot, & Samuels, 2007) and education reforms often aim to adopt the most promising, evidence-based teaching practices that can motivate students.…”