Emotions and motivation in mathematics education: Where we are today and where we need to go

Abstract

Emotions and motivation are important for learning and achievement in mathematics. In this paper, we present an overview of research on students’ emotions and motivation in mathematics. First, we briefly review how early research has developed into the current state-of-the-art and outline the following key characteristics of emotions and motivation: objects, valence, temporal stability (vs. variability), and situational specificity (vs. generality). Second, we summarize major theories in the field (the control-value theory of achievement emotions, expectancy-value theory of achievement-related motivation, self-determination theory of human motivation, and social-cognitive theory of self-efficacy). Third, we present an overview of instructional characteristics that have been shown to foster emotions and motivation. Fourth, we provide an overview of the contributions to the special issue on “Emotions and Motivation in Mathematics Education and Educational Psychology.” Finally, we suggest directions for future research in the field with respect to advancing theory, improving measurement, and considering diversity and inclusion.

Appraisement of mathematics tasks—a point of view of Norwegian eighth-grade students

“…Support for this is furthermore provided by Stevens et al (2004). They found in ninth- and 10th-grade students that self-efficacy predicted their motivational orientation and subsequently their mathematics performance.…”

“…The approach of taking into account the situational influences can also be found in the work of Schukajlow et al (2023), who recognized that there is recently increased attention on the situational nature of affective constructs. Therefore, they decided to include in their survey paper, "situational specificity" as a key characteristic of emotions and motivation which can be embedded in social environments and sociocultural contexts as well as in tasks.…”

Control–value appraisals and academic emotions: An intensive longitudinal examination of reciprocal effects

“…Furthermore, studies have shown that Chinese students perform well intellectually but poorly emotionally in mathematics (Dowker et al., 2019; Mullis et al., 2020). Despite substantial research on students' academic emotions, research on such emotions in non‐Western classrooms (e.g., China) is inadequate (see Schukajlow et al., 2023). Inspired by the CVT, culture might influence academic emotions via academic control–value appraisals.…”

Developmental trajectories of school‐beginners' ability self‐concept, intrinsic value and performance in mathematics

“…In the long run, these motivational beliefs importantly shape students’ choices of educational and career‐related pathways (Simpkins et al., 2006; Viljaranta, Nurmi, et al., 2009; Watt, 2006; Watt et al., 2012). The expectancy–value framework has been extensively applied in studies linking mathematics motivation with both achievement and mathematics‐related educational and occupational choices (Aunola et al., 2006; Lauermann et al., 2017; Lazarides et al., 2018; Watt et al., 2012), thus making it highly relevant for mathematics education (Schukajlow et al., 2017).…”