Changes in Relations Between Math and Language Motivational Beliefs Over Time: A Meta-Analysis

• In Event: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: The Role of Students' and Teachers' Competence Beliefs and Value Beliefs

Abstract

Students engage in intraindividual dimensional comparisons across contrasting domains such as math and language, which can negatively affect their ability self-concept in the contrasting domain. However, little is known about how the influence of such comparative processes might change as children progress through the school years. Consistent with our hypotheses, a meta-analysis of 129 independent samples with 247 effect sizes showed that the correlations between math and language ability self-concepts decrease over time. The same trend was found for other math and language motivational beliefs, including interest and self-concept. Our results suggest that dimensional comparisons are involved in the formation of students’ motivational beliefs across development and that they play a comparatively bigger role for older than younger students.

Authors

• Sirui Wan, University of Mississippi

• Drew Bailey, University of California - Irvine

• Fani Lauermann, TU Dortmund University

• Jacquelynne S. Eccles, University of California - Irvine