The interplay between self-beliefs, motivational and emotional orientations as well as their effects on mathematics achievement in PISA 2012

Mews S, Pöge A. Das Zusammenspiel von Selbstbildern, motivationalen und emotionalen Orientierungen sowie deren Einfluss auf die Mathematikleistung in der PISA-Studie 2012. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ERZIEHUNGSWISSENSCHAFT. 2019;22(4):899-924.Individual student characteristics like self-beliefs, motivational and emotional orientations are major factors in school performance and influence the latter based on a complex network of direct and indirect effects. This study explores the relations between these individual characteristics as well as their effects on students' mathematics achievement using a linear structural equation model. As a theoretical framework, the expectancy-value theory of Eccles as well as the control-value theory of Pekrun are utilised. The empirical analyses are based on a data set from the 2012 PISA study comprising 4168 15-year-old students, who predominantly attended the ninth grade. The results show that self-beliefs (i.e. self-concept and self-efficacy) in conjunction with instrumental motivational orientation account very well for differences in emotional orientations (i.e. enjoyment and interest as well as anxiety) in mathematics. Moreover, self-concept plays a central role in explaining the other personality traits, while self-efficacy has the strongest positive effect on mathematics achievement