How Do Variables Relate to Competence-Related Beliefs? Results From a Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses

• In Event: What Research Syntheses Tell Us About the Individual, Instructional, and Contextual Correlates to Academic Motivation

Abstract

Background
Competence-related beliefs are known to be central mediating constructs that affect various psychological and behavioral outcomes. Particularly at school, students’ academic self-concepts affect academic achievement, course choice, and subject interest (Möller et al., 2020). Accordingly, researchers are interested in how other variables relate to them and use these insights to foster both competence-related-beliefs as well as consequently, achievement and other important outcomes of schooling. Different theories on academic motivation include a multitude of constructs that describe competence-related beliefs (Marsh et al., 2019). For example, Expectancy-Value-Theory (Eccles et al., 1983) describes expectancies for success as individuals’ beliefs about how well they will do on an upcoming task (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Self-efficacy from Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory is a similar construct, defined as individuals’ perceived capabilities to execute designated courses of action. Empirically, self-efficacy beliefs are closely related to ability beliefs and expectancies for success (Marsh et al., 2019).
Objectives
Here, we refer to both constructs using the broader term competence-related beliefs to refer to constructs describing students’ expectations of success, self-concepts, and self-efficacy beliefs combing constructs from different theoretical frameworks to systematize work from different research traditions. Based on the different theoretical approaches describing competence-related beliefs, a large amount of meta-analytic research has been conducted to investigate associations with different variables. Often, these studies focus on a specific variable in relation to competence-related beliefs. In the current study, we combine previous research, investigating the relative importance of student characteristics, instruction and context variables in association with competence-related beliefs.
Methods
We summarize research from k=80 meta-analyses with 380 effect sizes based on an estimated total of N=2,820,253 participants. To analyze the data we used state of the art meta-analytic methodology following the PRISMA Guidelines (Page et al., 2021), and conducting three-level meta-analyses to account for the dependencies in the data.
Findings
Results indicated the importance of achievement variables for competence-related beliefs, but also substantial associations with variables describing students’ well-being and social support systems: Achievement had the strongest association with competence-related beliefs (d=.82). Effects of different background variables (gender, race, SES) were small, ranging from d=.15-.20. Instruction variables had a moderate to large effects on self-concept (d=0.35) and self-efficacy (d=.51). Results indicated potential differential associations of different constructs with background variables (self-concept: d=.26; self-efficacy: d=.16). Achievement was strongly related to both self-efficacy (d=.48) and self-concept (d=.74).
Significance
These findings have implications for how competence-related beliefs relate to students achievement and how they might be enhanced by instruction. Based on these findings, we discuss the role of construct as well as methodological issues when combining meta-analytic research. Future meta-analytic research is needed to more clearly distinguish between the different theoretical constructs. Overall, by providing a comprehensive overview on both theoretical and empirical work in the field of academic motivation, we hope this systematic review can inspire fruitful discussions and provide new perspectives for future research.

Authors

• Jennifer Meyer, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Thorben Jansen, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Jens Moeller, University of Kiel