Motivation and mathematics performance: a longitudinal study in early educational stages // Motivación y rendimiento académico en matemáticas: un estudio longitudinal en las primeras etapas educativas

Abstract

This longitudinal study analyzes the predictive value of a set of motivational variables on academic performance in mathematics. Analyses were carried out in a sample of 180 children, with data evaluated in two educational stages (kindergarten and second grade) in formal educational settings. Likewise, baseline differences in motivational and attributional variables in three groups (students with low, average, and high mathematical performance at the end of second grade) are also studied. The results show significant predictive power of self-perceived competence on later mathematics achievement. Persistence, attitude, and the positive attributional dimension of internality make an additional significant contribution. The results also show that the high and low performing groups at the end of second grade presented significant differences at the age of 5 on both self-perceived competence and persistence. In addition, there are differences in persistence between the average and low performance groups. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.