Validation of the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire (MMQ) for Secondary School Students

Background: Motivation is critical for supporting persistence and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this study, we focus on the assessment of mathematics motivation among secondary school students. We provide validity and reliability evidence for...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of STEM education 2021, Vol.8
Main Authors: Fiorella, Logan, Yoon, So Yoon, Atit, Kinnari, Power, Jason R, Panther, Grace, Sorby, Sheryl, Uttal, David H, Veurink, Norma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Factor Analysis
Mathematics Education
Questionnaires
Secondary School Students
Self Control
Self Efficacy
Student Motivation
Test Anxiety
Test Reliability
Test Validity
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Motivation is critical for supporting persistence and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this study, we focus on the assessment of mathematics motivation among secondary school students. We provide validity and reliability evidence for the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire (MMQ)--adapted from the Science Motivation Questionnaire designed for college students--using data from 2551 secondary students from seven states across the United States. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed five latent factors of the MMQ indicated by 19 items: intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy, utility value, and test anxiety. The nonlinear SEM reliability coefficients of the five constructs ranged from 0.76 to 0.91. To assess criterion validity, analyses using a subset of the data that included students' mathematics standardized scores (n = 536) indicated that intrinsic value, self-regulation, and self-efficacy were significantly positively correlated with mathematics achievement, whereas test anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with mathematics achievement. Conclusions: The MMQ provides a reliable, valid, and feasible measure of the specific factors underlying mathematics motivation among secondary students.
ISSN:2196-7822
2196-7822
DOI:10.1186/s40594-021-00307-x