Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6

IntroductionMathematics continues to be a real stumbling block for many low-performing students. Research over the past decades has highlighted the joint and determining effects of emotions and motivation on learning and performance in mathematics and has shown an increase in negative emotions over...

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Main Authors: Vanessa Hanin, Philippe Gay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1117676/full
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author Vanessa Hanin
Philippe Gay
author_facet Vanessa Hanin
Philippe Gay
author_sort Vanessa Hanin
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionMathematics continues to be a real stumbling block for many low-performing students. Research over the past decades has highlighted the joint and determining effects of emotions and motivation on learning and performance in mathematics and has shown an increase in negative emotions over the course of schooling. Inter-individual emotional differences and increasing classroom heterogeneity necessitate profile analysis that focuses on particular combinations of variables as they exist within groups of individuals.MethodsThe purpose of this cross-sectional research is twofold: (1) to identify the emotional profiles of 1,505 elementary school students (ages 6–12) in mathematics, and (2) to document, on the basis of expectancy-value theory, how these profiles differ in terms of beliefs about competence, perceived value, and performance.ResultsThe results highlighted two profiles over the 6 years: positive and negative. Three other profiles were observed repeatedly throughout schooling: the anxious, the self-esteem focused, and the emotionally disengaged.DiscussionThree pivotal years emerged from the analyses: the first year (transition to a more formal type of teaching), the third year (enculturation in normative evaluation practices and social comparison) and the final year (centering of learning around the external certification test). In terms of the dependent variables, the tendency of young children to overestimate their competences attenuates their negative emotions and the undesirable effects of these in terms of learning. Anxious and full-negative profiles performed the poorest and placed less value on mathematical learning. These findings indicate that interventions addressing the specific needs of each age and profile are needed.
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spelling doaj.art-e17ee5fd9bbb42f48d0286e3988c211d2023-05-17T05:44:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2023-05-01810.3389/feduc.2023.11176761117676Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6Vanessa Hanin0Philippe Gay1Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumHaute École Pédagogique du Canton de Vaud, Lausanne, SwitzerlandIntroductionMathematics continues to be a real stumbling block for many low-performing students. Research over the past decades has highlighted the joint and determining effects of emotions and motivation on learning and performance in mathematics and has shown an increase in negative emotions over the course of schooling. Inter-individual emotional differences and increasing classroom heterogeneity necessitate profile analysis that focuses on particular combinations of variables as they exist within groups of individuals.MethodsThe purpose of this cross-sectional research is twofold: (1) to identify the emotional profiles of 1,505 elementary school students (ages 6–12) in mathematics, and (2) to document, on the basis of expectancy-value theory, how these profiles differ in terms of beliefs about competence, perceived value, and performance.ResultsThe results highlighted two profiles over the 6 years: positive and negative. Three other profiles were observed repeatedly throughout schooling: the anxious, the self-esteem focused, and the emotionally disengaged.DiscussionThree pivotal years emerged from the analyses: the first year (transition to a more formal type of teaching), the third year (enculturation in normative evaluation practices and social comparison) and the final year (centering of learning around the external certification test). In terms of the dependent variables, the tendency of young children to overestimate their competences attenuates their negative emotions and the undesirable effects of these in terms of learning. Anxious and full-negative profiles performed the poorest and placed less value on mathematical learning. These findings indicate that interventions addressing the specific needs of each age and profile are needed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1117676/fullachievement emotionscompetence and value beliefsmathematics performanceelementary studentsprofile analysis
spellingShingle Vanessa Hanin
Philippe Gay
Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
Frontiers in Education
achievement emotions
competence and value beliefs
mathematics performance
elementary students
profile analysis
title Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
title_full Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
title_fullStr Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
title_full_unstemmed Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
title_short Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
title_sort comparative analysis of students emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1 6
topic achievement emotions
competence and value beliefs
mathematics performance
elementary students
profile analysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1117676/full
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