Chapter 4: Expectancy and Value as Predictors of Chinese Students’ Achievement Goals

The relative effects of a number of expectancy and value beliefs as predictors of achievement goal orientation in mathematics learning were examined in a sample of 1,950 Grade 7 Chinese students. These beliefs included self-concept, self-efficacy, entity theory of ability, internal attributions for academic achievement, as well as perceptions about the attainment, intrinsic, and utility values of mathematics learning. Regression analyses indicated these variables to be highly predictive of mastery and performance-approach goals, and to a lesser degree also performance-avoidance goals. Students with the perception that it was important to do well on mathematics exhibited higher levels of all goal orientations, but other beliefs had different patterns of association with the three goal orientations. The mastery orientation was distinctly characterized by an emphasis on the perceived attainment, intrinsic and utility values of mathematics learning, while the performance orientations were predicted by perceptions of whether it was important to achieve and whether there was a good chance to succeed. Implications for ways to enhance learning motivation are discussed.