Bidirectional Relations Between Adolescents' Task Values, Self-Concepts, and Career Aspirations in Mathematics and German Language

• In Event: Cross-Domain Effects Across Math- and Language Arts-Related Expectancy-Value Beliefs and Their Implications: A Developmental Perspective

Abstract

Purpose/Theoretical Framework
This study focuses on the bidirectional relations between students’ utility and intrinsic values, self-concepts and career aspirations in mathematics and language-related domains. Furthermore, potential differences in these relations as a function of student gender and immigrant background were examined.
According to Eccles et al.’s expectancy-value theory (EVT; Eccles et al., 1983), domain-specific self-concepts and task values are important predictors of occupational aspirations. Such domain-specific self-perceptions are influenced by—among other factors—students’ comparisons of their own performances across domains (i.e., by cross-domain comparisons). In addition, the Dimensional Comparison Theory (DCT; Möller & Marsh, 2013) emphasizes that, for example, positive ability-related self-perceptions in one domain are related to lower self-perceptions in another domain, unless the two domains are closely related. Only few studies to date have examined how such cross-domain comparisons affect occupational aspirations in different fields (for exceptions see, e.g., Lauermann, Chow, & Eccles, 2015). To gain a more detailed understanding of the interplay of motivational beliefs and occupational aspirations, this study combined EVT and DCT and investigated bidirectional relations among motivational beliefs and occupational aspirations in mathematics and language-related domains for different groups of students.

Methods
Longitudinal structural equation modelling and multiple group analyses were applied using data from two waves of the German longitudinal Motivation for Learning Mathematics study (MOVE). For the present analyses, data from 997 ninth to tenth graders were used (52.7 % girls; age: M = 14.96 years, SD = 1.01) from 52 classrooms in Berlin, Germany.

Results and Discussion
Negative cross-domain effects were identified as intrinsic value and self-concept in mathematics negatively predicted utility value in German language, controlling for gender, school type and immigrant background. Positive same-domain effects were identified as mathematics-related occupational aspirations positively predicted math utility, intrinsic value and self-concept. Only for girls, mathematics intrinsic value negatively predicted utility value in German language. Only for boys, intrinsic value in German language was positively related to occupational aspirations in language-intensive fields. Only for native speakers of German, aspirations related to language-intensive occupations negatively predicted math utility value. Only for non-native speakers of German, aspirations related to language-intensive occupations negatively predicted math-related aspirations.
In line with the theoretical assumptions of EVT, the findings show significant relations between motivational beliefs and activity choices. In our sample of late adolescents, occupational aspirations significantly predicted motivational beliefs rather than vice versa. In line with DCT, we identified negative cross-domain effects, which were more pronounced in mathematics than in the language domain. Differential effects highlighted a need for the consideration of interrelations between learning contexts and student characteristics.

Authors

• Charlott Rubach, University of Potsdam

• Rebecca Christine Lazarides, University of Potsdam