Elementary Students’ Motivational Beliefs and Achievement in Relation to Parental Variables

Author(s):

Burcu SenlerSEMRA SUNGUR

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

PRE_C8, Preconference; Paper Session C8

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-08

13:15-14:45

Room:

BE 014

Chair:

Joana da Silveira Duarte

Contribution

According to the expectancy-value model of achievement motivation, the expectancy for success and task value beliefs are influenced by the students’ attributions for their previous performances, students’ perceptions of socializers’ (i.e., teachers, parents, peers) beliefs and behaviors and cultural milieu (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Accordingly, Wigfield, Eccles, Schiefele, Roeser, and Davis-Kean (2005) proposed that parents’ causal attributions for their children’ academic performance, expectations for their children’s success, beliefs about their children’s abilities, and perceptions of task value affect students’ self and task value beliefs. Supporting this assertion, in their review study Gonzalez-DeHass, Willems, and Doan-Holbein (2005) reported that parents’ beliefs and behaviors have great influence on students’ competence beliefs and interest in academic activities. Moreover, in Hung’s study (2007) positive relationships were found between students’ perception of classroom learning environments, parents’ involvement at home, and parents’ aspirations and students’ self-concept. Additionally, parents’ social status and students’ perception of family learning environments were found to be related to students’ achievement. According to Eccles (2005) parents’ influence on students’ achievement can be mediated in part, through its direct and indirect effect on students’ self-concept and the task value beliefs. In the present study, the relationship among family environment variables (fathers’ educational level, mothers’ educational level, and perceived family involvement), motivation, and science achievement in elementary school level was examined using a path model.

Method

Participants of the study were 233 students (105 girls and 128 boys) in Grades 4 to 5 in urban elementary schools. The Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire developed by Marsh (1990) was used to measure students’ science self-concept. It consists of six-items on a five-point Likert scale from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Coefficient alpha estimates of reliability was found to be .89. The Academic Interest Questionnaire (Corbiere, Fraccaroli, Mbekou, & Perron, 2006) was used to assess students’ perceived science task value in terms of inherent positive feelings, intrinsic interest, and the perceived usefulness and importance of succeeding in science. It is a six item five-point Likert type scale, anchored with 1 = completely disagree, and 5 = completely agree. Coefficient alpha estimates for the instrument was .71. The Parental Influence Questionnaire (Wang, Wildman & Calhoun, 1996) was used to measure parental involvement. It consists of 10 items. All items were scored on a five-point Likert scale from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Cronbach’s alpha reliability was found to be .70.

Expected Outcomes

Results showed that family involvement was directly linked to students’ science self-concept and task value. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between mother educational level, science self-concept and science achievement. Similar to findings of the present study, Juang and Silbereisen (2002) showed that parental involvement, warmth, and academic discussions with parents are positively linked to academic self-concept. In fact, the related theory, the expectancy-value theory, suggests that student’ competence beliefs and task value beliefs are influenced by parents’ and/or teachers’ beliefs and behaviors as well as how students’ interpret these beliefs and behaviors (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002; Wigfield et al., 2005).

References

Corbiere, M., Fraccaroli, F., Mbekou, V., & Perron, J. (2006). Academic self-concept and academic interest measurement. A multi-sample European study. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21, 3-15. Eccles, J.S., (2005). Influences of parents’ education on their children’s educational attainments: the role of parent and child perceptions. London Review of Education, 3, 191-204. Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. In S. T. Fiske, D. L. Schacter, & C. Sahn-Waxler (Eds.), Annual review of psychology (pp.109–32). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews. Gonzalez-DeHass, A.R., Willems, P.P., & Doan Holbein, M.F. (2005). Examining the relationship between parental involvement and student motivation. Educational Psychology Review, 17, 99-123. Hung, C-L. (2007). Family, schools, and Taiwanese children’s outcomes. Educational Research, 49, 115-125. Juang, L.P., & Silbereisen, R.K. (2002). The relationship between adolescent academic capability beliefs, parenting, and school grades. Journal of Adolescence, 25, 3-18. Marsh, H.W. (1990). The structure of academic self-concept: The Marsh/Shavelson Model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 623-636. Pintrich, P. R., & Schunk, D. H. (2002). Motivation in education: Theory, research, and applications. Columbus, OH: Merrill. Wang, J., Wildman, L., & Calhoun, G. (1996). The relationships between parental influence and student achievement in seventh grade mathematics. School Science and Mathematics, 96, 395-399. Wigfield, A., Eccles, JS., Schiefele, U., Roeser, R., & Davis-Kean, PE (2005). Development of achievement motivation, in: W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds) Handbook of child psychology,volume 3: social, emotional, and personality development, New York, Wiley

Author Information

Burcu Senler

Mugla Universitesi

Ilkogretim Bolumu

Ankara

212

SEMRA SUNGUR

ODTU, Turkey

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