School Climate, Math Beliefs, and Math Behaviors as Sources of Math Achievement: A Theoretical Model

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Contextual and Cultural Influences on Motivation, Engagement, and Affect

Abstract

The authors developed a structural equation model based on Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory which posits that a person’s behavior is influenced by both individual factors and social-contextual factors. The model informs our understanding of the nature of the relationship between the social-contextual factors and individual factors as they relate to math achievement in high school students. Individual factors including self-beliefs (math self-efficacy and implicit theories of math ability) and math behaviors (persistence and effort) were identified as mediators of the relationship between school climate and math achievement. The current study utilizes data from 16,197 10th grade students from the base year of a nation-wide dataset, the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002).

Authors

• Thomas W. Hamlet, The University of Memphis

• Katherine Frances Wright, The University of Memphis

• Caroline Hart, The University of Memphis

• Christopher W. Cobb, The University of Memphis