Browsing by Author "Takalani, Mukovhe Glen"

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    School-based mechanisms of learner self-efficacy, engagement value and achievement : a structural equation analysis of grade 9 mathematics performance in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Takalani, Mukovhe Glen; Shepherd, Debra; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Since 2006, a revision to the basic education curriculum has made mathematics compulsory for all South African students during the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. This sewed to both rectify historical inadequacies in mathematical literacy, as well as meet demands of contemporary' economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (41R). Cross-time trends in the Trends in Mathematics and Sciences Study (TIMSS) have indicated substantial improvements in mathematics achievement of Grade 9 South African learners between 1995 and 2019. Nevertheless, South African students, on average, continue to lag internationally, and there exist significant gaps in mathematical proficiency across socioeconomics groups, as well as by gender (albeit to a lesser degree The empirical analysis presented in this thesis aimed to examine the complex relationship between leaner academic self-efficacy, engagement, and expectancy value, and the association of these with mathematics achievement. The Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (S-EVT) of Eccles and Wigfield (2020) contends that a learner' s motivational and competency beliefs dynamically evolve with each learning situation. Central to this evolution are the experiences and perceptions of the behaviour of key socializers, i.e., teachers and peers, and sociocultural attitudes such as gender stereotyping. The TIMSS data for South African Grade 9 learners collected in 2019 was used together with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Maximum Likelihood Missing Value (MLMV) estimation. SEM analyses performed by school socio-economic classification and gender aimed to emphasize the role of perceptions of socializer behaviour, affective reactions, self-schemas, and task values on mathematics achievement. The findings point towards successful outcomes in mathematics to be nurtured within an emotional ecosystem where students through an instilled sense of competence and interest forge a genuine bond with the subject, leading to enhanced mathematical proficiency. However, this account is not uniform. but entwined with gender- and class-based nuances. While the social cognitive processes of both boys and girls were influenced by perceptions of teacher social support and instructive engagement (TSSE), the effect sizes estimated for boys were more pronounced. This supports existing research (e.g., Watt et al., 2019) that boys, more than girls, necessitate an augmented level of effort, interaction, and support from their educators to stimulate their interest in and utility value from mathematics. This is, perhaps, because it serves as a countervailing force against prevailing negative expectations. For girls, TSSE emerged as a significant determinant of interest in mathematics, a subject traditionally perceived as aligning with masculine attributes. This "effect" emerged predominantly through the mechanism of mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), underscoring the important role that teachers can play in fostering girls' confidence in their mathematical capabilities. In poorer school contexts, however, the MSE of both girls and boys were negatively influenced by peer relations. Finally, differential paths from MSE to mathematics achievement were found for boys and girls: For girls and particularly those in more affluent schools the total effect of MSE on performance operated predominantly through intrinsic task value, whereas for boys in less-affluent settings, it operated through utility task value. These findings suggest a deep rootedness of socioeconomic context in goal orientations.