Math Grades and Intrinsic Motivation in Elementary School: A Longitudinal Investigation of Their Association

Autor/inn/en	Weidinger, Anne F.; Steinmayr, Ricarda; Spinath, Birgit
Titel	Math Grades and Intrinsic Motivation in Elementary School: A Longitudinal Investigation of Their Association
Quelle	In: British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87 (2017) 2, S. 187-204Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0007-0998
DOI	10.1111/bjep.12143
Schlagwörter	Forschungsbericht; Student Motivation; Elementary School Students; Longitudinal Studies; Correlation; Grades (Scholastic); Mathematics Achievement; Elementary School Mathematics; Grade 2; Grade 3; Grade 4; Foreign Countries; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulische Motivation; Longitudinal study; Longitudinal method; Longitudinal methods; Längsschnittuntersuchung; Korrelation; Notenspiegel; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Elementare Mathematik; Schulmathematik; School year 02; 2. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 02; School year 03; 3. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 03; School year 04; 4. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 04; Ausland; Deutschland
Abstract	Background: It is often argued that the negative development of intrinsic motivation in elementary school strongly depends on the presence of school grades because grades represent extrinsic consequences and achievement feedback that are supposed to influence intrinsically motivated behaviour. However, only a few studies have tested this hypothesis. Aims: Therefore, we investigated the role of school grades in inter- and intra-individual changes in elementary school students' intrinsic motivation from when grades were first introduced until the end of elementary school, when students in Germany receive recommendations for a secondary school type on the basis of their prior performance in school. Sample: A sample of 542 German elementary school students (t[subscript 1]: M = 7.95 years, SD = 0.57) was followed for 2 years from the end of Grade 2 to the end of Grade 4. Methods: At seven measurement occasions, children's math grades and their domain-specific intrinsic motivation were assessed. Results: Latent growth curve models showed differences in trajectories of intrinsic motivation across students rather than uniform development. Moreover, students' trajectories of grades and intrinsic motivation were only weakly associated. A latent cross-lagged model revealed that reciprocal effects between the two constructs over time were small at best. Conclusions: Contrary to theoretical considerations, our results indicate that negative performance feedback in the form of grades does not necessarily lead to a decrease in intrinsic motivation. This calls into question the common opinion that a perception of being less competent, as reflected by poor grades, is responsible for weakening students' intrinsic motivation. (As Provided).
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Begutachtung	Peer reviewed
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01