African American Adolescents’ Achievement Goal Orientations, Academic Efficacy, and Teacher-Related Perceptions within a Mathematics Context

• In Event: Cognition and Motivation in Mathematics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between African Americans’ achievement goal orientations, academic efficacy, and perceptions of teacher expectations and equitable teaching practices within a mathematics learning context. The sample included 400 students from public charter middle schools. The results of a structural equation modeling analysis revealed that students were more likely to feel efficacious if they believed their teachers possessed high expectations for their success. Additionally, students who perceived an equitable classroom were more likely to adopt mastery goals, and students who perceived high teacher expectations were less likely to adopt performance-approach goals. The results expand the literature on African Americans’ motivational processes and provide a meaningful guide for theory development and practice.

Authors

• Kendra DeLaine, Howard University

• Kimberley Edelin Freeman, Howard University