Motivation and Mathematics Achievement: Comparisons between Asian-American and Non-Asian Students

Constructs related to mathematics achievement in 353 Asian-American and non-Asian fourth, fifth, and sixth graders are examined. Students were surveyed regarding beliefs and expectations about ability in relation to mathematical tasks (self-concept of ability, perception of parental beliefs, causal attributions of success and failure), perception of mathematics, and reasons for engaging in the task (task-involved or ego-involved motivation). Additionally, how well these constructs predict mathematics achievement was investigated, noting potentially different weightings between Asian-American and non-Asian students. Results show Asian-American students differ significantly from non-Asian students on several constructs, partly reflecting Asian-American students′ lower self-concepts of mathematics ability and their belief that their parents share that conception. Groups also differed in the relative importance of the motivational constructs in predicting mathematics achievement. Results are discussed in relation to the comparative mathematics achievement of both ethnic groups.