Chapter 2: Beyond Dichotomous Characterizations of Student Learning: New Directions in Achievement Motivation Research

Like most students, Monica speaks about her perceived ability in mathematics in a varied and complex way. She expresses the belief that she is not good at math, and acknowledges that not liking the subject has an influence on her performance. At the same time, Monica asserts that effort can definitely make a difference in her learning, especially when she has a good teacher. Most interesting is her view that effort can maximize her ability in mathematics.

Researchers have known for more than twenty-five years that students’ achievement beliefs, such as those expressed by Monica, have a powerful influence on their learning behavior (e.g., Bempechat, London, & Dweck, 1991; Nicholls, Cheung, Lauer, & Patachnick, 1989; Weiner, Russell, & Lerman, 1979a). Regrettably, however, none of the traditional methods for assessing students’ beliefs about their abilities is capable of capturing the richness of Monica’s convictions. Why is this?