Ao otopeoo Iootool of 5oclol 5cleoces volome 7

Nombet 4 (2009)
Mot|vat|on |n the Learn|ng of Mathemat|cs
8y
A|da Suraya Mdunus
ostltote of Motbemotlcol keseotcb locolty of
Jocotloool 5toJles
uolvetsltl lotto Moloyslo 5elooqot Moloyslo
Jan 2ah Jan A||
ostltote of Motbemotlcol keseotcb locolty of
Jocotloool 5toJles
uolvetsltl lotto Moloyslo 5elooqot Moloyslo
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1eachers especlally ln Malaysla Lend Lo be overly
focused on academlc achlevemenL and ln guldlng
sLudenLs Lo achleve excellenL grades ln a counLry
where cenLrallzed examlnaLlon ls pracLlced Lhe
Lendency Lo pay lesser aLLenLlon Lo moLlvaLlng sLudenLs
ln Lhe Leachlng and learnlng process ls a common
pracLlce urlll and pracLlce becomes Lhe maln class
acLlvlLy durlng Lhe few monLhs before LheexamlnaLlon
commence 1he pracLlce ls also apparenL ln hlgher
educaLlon 1hus Lhls sLudy seeks Lo ldenLlfy sLudenLs'
level of efforL self efflcacy worry and moLlvaLlon and
Lo esLabllsh relaLlonshlp beLween moLlvaLlon and
maLhemaLlcs achlevemenL
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W ls Lhere any relaLlonshlp beLween sLudenL`s
moLlvaLlon ln solvlng maLhemaLlcs problem
based on gender CCA and year of sLudy?
W ls Lhere any relaLlonshlp beLween sLudenLs' level
of efforL self efflcacy and worry ln solvlng
maLhemaLlcal problems based on gender currenL
cumulaLlve grade polnL average (CCA) and year
of sLudy
W Pow far does Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween level of
moLlvaLlon and sLudenLs` maLhemaLlcs
achlevemenL?
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1he sLudy seeks Lo deLermlne
W LudenLs' level of efforL self efflcacy and worry ln
solvlng maLhemaLlcal problems based on gender
currenL cumulaLlve grade polnL average (CCA)
and year of sLudy
W LudenLs' level of moLlvaLlon ln solvlng
maLhemaLlcal problems based on gender currenL
cumulaLlve grade polnL average (CCA) and year
of sLudy and
W 8elaLlonshlp beLween levels of moLlvaLlon and
sLudenLs' maLhemaLlcs achlevemenL
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or Lhe wrlLer
WlLh Lhls [ournal we are now reallzed LhaL wlLh hlgh moLlvaLlon wlll
lnfluance sLudenLs` efforL and dlrecLly wlll lnfluence sLudenL`
achlevmenL
or reader
8y uslng Lhls [ournal readers should know LhaL wlLh hlgh
moLlvaLlon wlll have dlrecL proporLlon wlLh sLudenL`s efforL and
lnderecLly wlll lnflunce Lo CCA 1hus wlLh Lhls moLlvaLlon readers
musL have hlgh moLlvaLlon ln solvlng maLhemaLlcs problem no maLLer
how hard lL ls
or 1eacher
1eacher should encorage Lhelr sLudenL and glve Lhem more
moLlvaLlon ln learnlng maLhemaLlcs slnce we know LhaL noL every
chlld has hlgh lC 1hus Lhey are wlll be more aLLracLlve ln solvlng
maLhemaLlcs problem
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Motivation reIers to 'a student's willingness, need, desire and compulsion to participate in,
and be successIul in the learning process (Bomia et al., 1997, p. 1). According to Middleton and
Spanias (1999), research indicates that success in mathematics is a powerIul inIluence on the
motivation to achieve. As indicated by Dickinson and Butt (1989), students will Iind a task more
enjoyable when they have moderately high probability oI success as compared to one with a lower
chance oI success.
Motivation contributes to the ability to solve problems. Based on several problem solving
models, O`Neil & Schacter (1997) developed the CRESST model oI problem solving that
incorporates Iour elements; content understanding, problem solving strategies, metacognition and
motivation. In their model, motivation comprises oI three components; selI eIIicacy, eIIort and
worry.
EIIort is synonym to motivation. An individual who shows greater eIIort is considered to be
motivated, whilst one who is motivated will also show greater eIIort. Bandura (1993) and Schunk
(1984) posited that eIIort is directly inIluenced by selI-eIIicacy and directly aIIecting skill or
perIormance.
Bandura (1994) deIines selI-eIIicacy as people's belieIs about their capabilities to produce
designated levels oI perIormance that exercise inIluence over events that aIIect their lives. SelI
eIIicacy is a continuous process throughout liIe. According to Bandura (1992), the growth oI selI-
eIIicacy does not end during youth, but continues to evolve throughout liIe as people acquire new
skills, experiences, and understanding.
a[lan Lmplrlk
Malpass Cnell and Pocevar (1) conducLed a sLudy Lo
lnvesLlgaLe Lhe effecLs of gender selfefflcacy learnlng goal
orlenLaLlon selfregulaLlon and worry on hlghsLakes maLhemaLlcs
(le an Advanced lacemenL calculus exam) achlevemenL ln a sample
of maLhemaLlcally glfLed prlmarlly Aslan Amerlcan hlgh school
sLudenLs uslng a sLrucLural equaLlon modellng framework 1helr
analyses showed LhaL selfefflcacy ls poslLlvely relaLed Lo maLh
achlevemenL ls moderaLely and poslLlvely relaLed Lo selfregulaLlon
and ls hlghly and negaLlvely relaLed Lo worry and LhaL learnlng goal
orlenLaLlon (or lnLrlnslc value) ls poslLlvely relaLed Lo selfregulaLlon
and worry buL ls noL relaLed Lo selfefflcacy or hlghsLakes maLhemaLlcs
achlevemenL 1he flndlngs furLher sLaLed LhaL young men were less
worrled and had hlgher selfefflcacy for maLh Lhan young women and
selfregulaLlon was negaLlvely relaLed Lo worry buL surprlslngly was
noL relaLed Lo hlghsLakes maLhemaLlcs achlevemenL
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8ased on Lhe LheorlLlcal and emplrlcal sLudy above Lhan we
goL some hypoLhesls Lhey are
W Plgh moLlvaLlon has hlgh lnfluence Lo process ln learnlng
maLhemaLlcs
W 1he hlgher sLudenLs efforL Lhey have Lhe hlgher Lhey geL sLudenL
achlevmenL
W elf efflclacy has dlrecL proporLlonal wlLh sLudenLs` achlevmenL buL
worry has lnversely wlLh sLudenLs` achlevmenL
W LudenLs ln hlgh level Lend Lo have hlgh moLlvaLlon self deflclancy
and worry raLher Lhan sLudenLs from flrsL year unLll Lhlrd year
W ?oung men Lend Lo have hlgh self efflclacy ln learnlng maLhemaLlcs
Lhan woman
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1LMA1 Malaysla
WakLu dalam [urnal Lldak dlsebuLkan
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1he sub[ecLs of Lhe survey were selecLed among flnal year sLudenLs
ma[orlng ln maLhemaLlcs educaLlon from four unlverslLles ln Malaysla
namely unlverslLl uLra Malaysla unlverslLl ebangsaan Malaysla
unlverslLl Malaya and unlverslLl Malaysla abah And also sLudenLs
from flrsL year unLll Lhlrd years whlch are relaLlvely small
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CuesLlonnalres were used Lo sollclL lnformaLlon on sLudenLs'
moLlvaLlon ln maLhemaLlcal problem solvlng Lhrough a descrlpLlve
survey
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W Iarlable bebas Cender ?ears of sLudy and
CCA
W Iarlable LerlkaL Worry sLudenLs` efforL and
sLudenLs self efflcacy
engumpulan daLa
W ub[ecLs were requlred Lo respond Lo Lhe measuremenL used
by C'nell and chacLer's (1) Lo measure moLlvaLlon
W 1o provlde a beLLer undersLandlng of each of Lhe Lhree
speclflc componenLs of moLlvaLlon a descrlpLlon of Lhe
componenL and a sample lLem for each of Lhe componenL are
provlded below
uaLa Analysls
W 4.1. Students` Level of Effort, Self Efficacy, Worry and
Motivation in Solving Mathematical
Problems
The respondents` overall motivation scores (n 195) is 82.96
(SD 9.82). The range Ior summative score that a respondent
obtains in the motivation survey is between 22 and 110. The
level oI motivation is categorized as low Ior scores 22 to 51,
moderate Ior scores 52 to 81 and high Ior scores 82 to 111.
Thus, the respondents` overall score in motivation is high
(mean 82.96, SD 9.82).
W 4.2. Level of Effort, Self Efficacy, Worry and Motivation
Based on Gender
Table 1 displays the scores on the motivation survey. The
Iemale respondents showed signiIicantly higher scores (mean
83.63, SD 10.20) in overall score Ior the motivation survey as
compared to the male respondents (mean 79.39, SD 6.59).
Likewise, the Iemale respondents obtained higher scores in all
three components oI motivation; eIIort (m 36.21, SD 5.33),
selI-eIIicacy (m 30.00, SD 5.18) and worry (m 17.43, SD
2.42). SigniIicant diIIerence was established in overall motivation
scores between the Iemale and male respondents (t -2.23, dI
193, p .05), Iavouring the Iemales, but not Ior the subscales
eIIort, selI-eIIicacy and worry.
W 3 Leve| of Lffort Se|f Lff|cacy Jorry and Mot|vat|on 8ased on Current
Cumu|at|ve Grade
W o|nt Average (CGA)
1he respondenLs' overall moLlvaLlon scores were also analyzed based on
Lhelr currenL cumulaLlve grade polnL average (CCA) CCA ls caLegorlzed as
above 3 beLween 00 and 4 and below 00
1he respondenLs' overall moLlvaLlon scores were also analyzed based on
Lhelr currenL cumulaLlve grade polnL average (CCA) CCA ls caLegorlzed as
above 3 beLween 00 and 4 and below 00
1able 2 below shows Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon based on CCA caLegorles lL seems
LhaL respondenLs wlLh hlgher CCA obLalned hlgher scores ln Lhe survey ln
Lerms of efforL respondenLs ln Lhe 30 and above caLegory scored Lhe
hlghesL (mean 1 u 33) 1he same paLLern ls dlsplayed for self
efflcacy Lhe 30 and above caLegory scored Lhe hlghesL (mean 04 u
4)
W Leve| of Lffort Se|f Lff|cacy Jorry and Mot|vat|on
8ased on ear of Study
1he flndlngs above concenLraLe on Lhe flnal year sLudenLs
only Powever efforLs were also made Lo collecL daLa from
sLudenLs w ho are noL ln Lhe flnal year 1he number of
respondenLs for ?ear 1 and are relaLlvely small slnce Lhe
unlverslLles lnvolved ln Lhe sLudy experlenced a greaL decllne ln
sLudenLs'enrollmenL for Lhe maLhemaLlcs educaLlon program
lrsL year sLudenLs scored hlgher Lhan Lhe oLher groups ln efforL
selfefflcacy worry and overall moLlvaLlon As menLloned above
worry as measured ln Lhe quesLlonnalre refers Lo Lhe lnfluence
of worry ln Lhe poslLlve sense Lowards moLlvaLlon ?ear 4
sLudenLs scored sllghLly hlgher Lhan Lhe ?ear group ln boLh
efforL and selfefflcacy and ln overall moLlvaLlon score (1able 4)
W 4.5. Relationships between Levels of Motivation with
Students` Overall Academic Achievement
Current cumulative grade point (CGPA) is used as a reIlection
oI respondents` overall academic achievement. Thus, Pearson
correlation analysis was conducted to establish correlation
between scores in the survey with current CGPA. SigniIicant
positive correlations are established between eIIort (.151, p
.01), selI-eIIicacy (.180, p .01), and overall motivation (.202, p
.01) with students` overall academic achievement (Table 5)
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