Watt Helen M G, Bucich Micaela, Dacosta Liam
School of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Front Psychol. 2019 Jun 27;10:990. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00990. eCollection 2019.
Pertinent to concern in Australia and elsewhere regarding shortages in STEM fields, motivational expectancies and values predict STEM study and career aspirations. Less is known about how "cost" values may deter, and how expectancies/values and costs combine for different profiles of learners to predict achievement aspirations and psychological wellbeing outcomes. These were the aims of the present study using established measures of perceived talent, intrinsic and utility values, and a new multidimensional "costs" measure as the platform to explore a typology of mathematics/science learners. Grade 10 Australian adolescents ( = 1,172; 702 girls) from 9 metropolitan Sydney/Melbourne schools completed surveys early 2012/2013. Latent profile analyses educed profiles within each of mathematics and science: "Positively engaged" scored high on positive motivations, low on costs; "Struggling ambitious" were high for both positive motivations and costs; "Disengaged" exhibited generally low scores on positive motivations but high costs. MANOVAs examined mathematics/science profile differences on clustering variables, experienced learning environments, achievement background and striving, career aspirations and psychological wellbeing. Positively engaged/Struggling ambitious were distinguished by high costs perceived by Struggling ambitious, associated with debilitated psychological wellbeing, but not eroding achievement striving. A greater proportion of boys was in this risk type. Disengaged students reported lowest STEM-related career aspirations, aimed marks and history of results; in mathematics, a greater proportion of girls was in this risk type. Profiles could be conceptualized along dimensions of achievement striving and psychological wellbeing. Similar profiles for mathematics and science, and coherent patterns of antecedents and outcomes, suggest several theoretical and educational implications.
与澳大利亚及其他地方对STEM领域人才短缺的关注相关，动机期望和价值观能够预测STEM学习及职业抱负。对于“成本”价值观如何产生阻碍作用，以及期望/价值观与成本如何结合起来影响不同类型学习者的成就抱负和心理健康结果，我们所知甚少。本研究旨在通过使用既定的感知天赋、内在价值和实用价值测量方法，以及一种新的多维“成本”测量方法，探索数学/科学学习者的类型。来自悉尼/墨尔本9所大都市学校的10年级澳大利亚青少年（ = 1172人；702名女生）在2012年初/2013年完成了调查。潜在剖面分析得出了数学和科学领域各自的剖面类型：“积极参与型”在积极动机方面得分高，在成本方面得分低；“努力有抱负型”在积极动机和成本方面得分都高；“ disengaged型”在积极动机方面总体得分低，但成本高。多变量方差分析检验了数学/科学剖面类型在聚类变量、体验式学习环境、成就背景与努力、职业抱负和心理健康方面的差异。“积极参与型”/“努力有抱负型”的区别在于“努力有抱负型”感知到的高成本，这与心理健康受损相关，但并未削弱成就努力。男孩中处于这种风险类型的比例更高。“ disengaged型”学生报告的与STEM相关的职业抱负、目标分数和成绩历史最低；在数学方面，女孩中处于这种风险类型的比例更高。剖面类型可以沿着成就努力和心理健康的维度进行概念化。数学和科学领域的类似剖面类型，以及前后一致的先行因素和结果模式，具有若干理论和教育意义。
