Math Motivation During Kindergarten and Its Association With Classroom Motivational Climate: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry

• In Event: Motivational Landscapes: Unpacking Classroom Motivational Support and Climate Processes in K-12 and Beyond

Abstract

With mixed-methods approaches, we explored how children's math motivation changes through kindergarten and the extent the change is related to the classroom motivational climate. Results of cluster analysis (N = 306) revealed four unique patterns of change, with 2 adaptive (High and Stable; Flourishing) and 2 maladaptive (Vulnerable; Worsening). The proportion of students with adaptive patterns (i.e., High and Stable & Flourishing) varied across classrooms, ranging from 46% to 100.0%. To provide a thick description of how teacher practices and discourses was related to such differential changes, 18 video-recorded math lessons were scruntinized (3 per teacher) using the TARGETS model of classroom motivational climate. Differences in Task, Student Autonomy, Recognition/ Evaluation, and Student-Teacher Relationships were especially salient across classrooms.

Authors

• Tao Li, Purdue University

• Helen Patrick, Purdue University

• Panayota Youli Mantzicopoulos, Purdue University

• Inok Ahn, Purdue University