Economics students’ motivations for learning mathematics: an application of the Expectancy-Value theory
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Abstract
Based on the Expectancy-Value theory of Eccles et al. (1983), the present study aimed to analyze the motivations of the students of the Economics Program of the Universidad Industrial de Santander in relation to the learning of mathematics. To do this, a sample of 104 students was used, who filled out the Self-assessment and Task Perception Questionnaire, originally developed by Eccles, O’Neill and Allan (2005). The 19 items used met the criteria of internal reliability of the constructs (Cronbach’s alpha values between .66 and .86). To determine the relationships between the analyzed variables, a trajectory analysis was performed through structural equation modeling. Among the main results, it stands out that expectations beliefs are positively related to student performance in mathematics.
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