Assessing Students' Theories of Success in Mathematics: Individual and Classroom Differences

Abstract

Scales assessing Task Orientation (where the goal is to gain understanding) and Ego Orientation (where the goal is to be superior to others) in mathematics were administered to six secondgrade classes with a total of 102 students. Task Orientation was associated with the beliefs that success in mathematics is fostered by effort, attempts to make sense of things, and cooperation with one's peers. Ego Orientation was associated with the beliefs that success depends on superior ability and attempts to beat others. Perceived ability was not appreciably associated with these motivational orientations. One second-grade class that had experienced, for one year, mathematics instruction consistent with a constructivist view rated higher than traditional classes on Task Orientation, beliefs that success depends on attempts to understand, and cooperation with peers. This class was lower on the desire for superiority over one's friends (an aspect of Ego Orientation), desire to avoid work, and beliefs that success depends on superior ability. It did not differ from others on perceived ability. The results suggest the validity of the present scales and the value of employing a wider than usual range of indices when assessing the outcomes of mathematics teaching practices.