Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles

Rodríguez, Susana; Estévez, Iris; Piñeiro, Isabel; Valle, Antonio; Vieites, Tania; Regueiro, Bibiana

doi:10.3390/su13168707

Open AccessArticle

Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles

by

Susana Rodríguez

¹,

Iris Estévez

^2,*

,

Isabel Piñeiro

¹,

Antonio Valle

¹

,

Tania Vieites

¹

and

Bibiana Regueiro

³

¹

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain

²

Department of Pedagogy and Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain

³

Department of Pedagogy and Didactics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8707; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168707

Submission received: 29 June 2021 / Revised: 27 July 2021 / Accepted: 30 July 2021 / Published: 4 August 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on the Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Regulation)

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Abstract

This study aims to use a person-centred approach to identify possible student motivational profiles in mathematics. These profiles are made up of various combinations of two motivational variables: perceived competence and intrinsic motivation. Once the profiles are identified, we examine the differences between them in negative emotions and mathematics performance. Our sample comprised 863 students (50.2% boys, 49.8% girls) aged between 9 and 13 years old. The results indicated three motivational profiles. One group of students with moderately high perceived competence and intrinsic motivation who demonstrated the best performance and the lowest levels of negative feelings about themselves. A second group was defined by moderately low levels of perceived competence and intrinsic motivation. The third group was characterized by very low perceived competence and low intrinsic motivation and demonstrated the worst performance in mathematics and the highest levels of anxiety and negative emotions towards mathematics.

Keywords: perceived competence; intrinsic motivation; mathematics; latent profiles; primary education

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MDPI and ACS Style

Rodríguez, S.; Estévez, I.; Piñeiro, I.; Valle, A.; Vieites, T.; Regueiro, B. Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8707. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168707

AMA Style

Rodríguez S, Estévez I, Piñeiro I, Valle A, Vieites T, Regueiro B. Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles. Sustainability. 2021; 13(16):8707. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168707

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rodríguez, Susana, Iris Estévez, Isabel Piñeiro, Antonio Valle, Tania Vieites, and Bibiana Regueiro. 2021. "Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles" Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8707. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168707

APA Style

Rodríguez, S., Estévez, I., Piñeiro, I., Valle, A., Vieites, T., & Regueiro, B. (2021). Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles. Sustainability, 13(16), 8707. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168707

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Perceived Competence and Intrinsic Motivation in Mathematics: Exploring Latent Profiles

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