Adolescents’ Motivational Profiles in Mathematics and Science: Associations With Achievement Striving, Career Aspirations and Psychological Wellbeing

Pertinent to concern in Australia and elsewhere regarding shortages in STEM fields, motivational expectancies and values predict STEM study and career aspirations. Less is known about how “cost” values may deter, and how expectancies/values and costs combine for different profiles of learners to predict achievement aspirations and psychological wellbeing outcomes. These were the aims of the present study using established measures of perceived talent, intrinsic and utility values, and a new multidimensional “costs” measure as the platform to explore a typology of mathematics/science learners. Grade 10 Australian adolescents (N = 1,172; 702 girls) from 9 metropolitan Sydney/Melbourne schools completed surveys early 2012/2013. Latent profile analyses educed profiles within each of mathematics and science: “Positively engaged” scored high on positive motivations, low on costs; “Struggling ambitious” were high for both positive motivations and costs; “Disengaged” exhibited generally low scores on positive motivations but high costs. MANOVAs examined mathematics/science profile differences on clustering variables, experienced learning environments, achievement background and striving, career aspirations and psychological wellbeing. Positively engaged/Struggling ambitious were distinguished by high costs perceived by Struggling ambitious, associated with debilitated psychological wellbeing, but not eroding achievement striving. A greater proportion of boys was in this risk type. Disengaged students reported lowest STEM-related career aspirations, aimed marks and history of results; in mathematics, a greater proportion of girls was in this risk type. Profiles could be conceptualized along dimensions of achievement striving and psychological wellbeing. Similar profiles for mathematics and science, and coherent patterns of antecedents and outcomes, suggest several theoretical and educational implications.