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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between self-regulated learning, motivation, mathematics anxiety, attribution, gender, ethnicity, SES and academic performance of fifth and sixth grade students in mathematics. Specifically, the study investigated whether relations exists between the factors of self-regulated learning, motivation, anxiety in mathematics, attribution and mathematics performance among fifth and sixth grade learners, whether relations exists between individual learner variables (i.e., gender, ethnicity, SES), self-regulated learning, motivation, anxiety in mathematic and attributions; whether developmental differences exist between individual learner variables (i.e., gender, ethnicity, SES) and mathematics performance; and whether differences exist in the degree to which individual learner variables (i.e., gender, ethnicity, SES) affect mathematics achievement for fifth and sixth grade learners.
Subjects were 761 fifth and sixth grade mathematics students currently in elementary and middle schools. All subjects completed the four instruments; a version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ, an adaptation of the Test Anxiety Inventory revised for mathematics (TAI-R-M); a mathematics attribution scale, and an adaptation of the Self-regulated Learning Interview Schedule (SRLIS). Statistical measures, including multiple regression correlations, a factorial MANOVA, and a two-way path analysis were performed in analyzing data.
Significant relations were noted between motivation, anxiety and test score for both fifth and sixth grade learners in mathematics. With respect to motivation, relations existed for gender and ethnicity and free-reduced lunch (SES) significantly affected motivation, anxiety, and attributions. Further results indicated that when combined gender, ethnicity, and free-reduced lunch affect motivation. Relations were noted between free-reduced lunch and test score and between gender, free-reduced lunch, and math grade. Differences were observed for the two grade levels in relations between strategy use and strategy frequency. Further, differences were observed for the two grade levels in relations between strategies used across the six different learning contexts.
