Effects of Undergraduates Motivation Profile Transition on Course Achievement in Science

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: Motivation in STEM Contexts

Abstract

Students’ value and cost they place on the task are theorized to predict their choices, persistence, and achievement outcomes. We measured value and cost of 998 science undergraduate students at three time points. Latent profile analysis identified a solution with three profiles, Moderately motivated, Cost-oriented, and Value-oriented. With the longitudinal data, latent transition analysis figured out how students transited among profiles over the semester. We categorized 27 types of transition into six transition patterns. Student demographics were found to be significant predictors of transition patterns. Additionally, academic achievement differed by transition pattern. Specifically, students who maintained value-oriented motivation outperformed others while students, who were motivated by high cost or whose motivation changed toward cost-oriented over time, demonstrated the worst performance.

Authors

• Wonjoon Hong, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Matthew L. Bernacki, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill