Expectancy-value motivation profiles and their relation to specific maths tasks

The current study assesses how achievement motivation relates to specific maths tasks. The participants were Grade five Estonian students (N = 335, 51% female, 2021/2022 school year). The assessment included two to three whole-number calculations, conversions of units of mass, length, and time, typical word problems, real-life word problems, spontaneous focusing on quantitative relations, and the guided use of multiplicative relations, as well as an expectancy-value achievement motivation questionnaire. Four profiles of motivation were found: (1) high, (2) average, (3) low, and (4) external motivation. The high motivation group performed the best, while the external motivation group tended to perform the worst in maths tasks. The results of the study highlight the importance of assessing achievement motivation and maths task types in a person-oriented manner to gain a deeper insight into the relationship between motivation and maths skills.