Associations Between Parents' and Students' Motivational Beliefs: The Role of Gender

• In Event: 18.057 - Mom, Dad, Teacher, Peer: Who Influences Students' STEM Motivation? An Expectancy Value Perspective

Abstract

Objectives
The present study investigated how mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of child math ability and utility math values relate to children’s self-concepts of ability, utility values, and year-end grades, controlling for students’ prior math achievement. The analysis focused on potential gender differences within these relations.

Framework
Despite continuous narrowing of the mathematics gender gap, females still express lower math self-concepts and value beliefs than male peers and are less likely to pursue mathematics careers. One potential explanation using Eccles’ (2007) parent socialization model is that children’s beliefs and values in math are directly related to their parents’ values and perceptions of children’s math abilities. Although partly based on children’s past performance, parents’ perceptions also develop from their gendered mathematical beliefs, evidenced by parents of boys generally assessing their child’s math competence to be higher than parents of girls (Räty, et al., 2002). Investigations of the unique influences of mothers and fathers on boys’ and girls’ math self-concept, values, and achievement show mixed results. However, Frome and Eccles (1998) demonstrate that fathers rely more on children’s grades than mothers when perceiving their child’s math ability, suggesting that controlling for prior grades within the analysis, done by few previous studies, is necessary to better determine parents’ influence on boys’ and girls’ math self-concept, values, and achievement.

Methods
The sample consisted of 830 students from 51 classrooms in Grades 5 to 12 in two German academic track schools. Using separate questionnaires, data were collected from students, mothers (N = 618), and fathers (N = 546).

Results
Using multi-group modeling in structural equation models, we found fathers and mothers perceived no difference in boys’ and girls’ math ability. Fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of students’ math abilities were associated with girls’ and boys’ math self-concept to the same degree. A significant interaction between fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of students’ ability occurred for girls but not boys: High-ability perceptions of one parent compensated for low-ability perceptions of the other parent, regardless of parent gender. Concerning parents’ and students’ utility values, mothers’ utility perceptions were associated with girls’ and boys’ utility values to the same extent. In contrast, fathers’ utility perceptions were only significantly associated with girls’ utility beliefs. Regarding students’ math grades at the end of the school year, mothers’ perceptions of students’ math ability significantly predicted girls’ math grades while fathers’ perceptions did not. For boys, the opposite occurred: Only fathers’ ability perceptions predicted boys’ math grades. Again, a significant interaction occurred for girls: High-ability perceptions of one parent compensated for low-ability perceptions of the other parent.

Significance
The current study underscores the significance of social influences on academic outcomes above and beyond past performance. Girls’ and boys’ self-concepts, values, and achievement in mathematics relate to their mothers’ and fathers’ self-concepts and values in different ways. Identifying the precise relations between beliefs and values of parents and children of different genders is an important extension of prior work, and can allow for a richer understanding of why girls in particular are underrepresented in STEM fields.

Authors

• Isabelle Häfner, University of Tübingen

• Jessica Rose Gladstone, New York University

• Lara Alden Turci, University of Maryland - College Park

• Katherine Marie Muenks, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Heide Kneissler, University of Tuebingen

• Benjamin Nagengast, University of Tübingen

• Ulrich Trautwein, University of Tubingen