Adolescent-perceived parent and teacher overestimation of mathematics ability: Developmental implications for...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Adolescents' task values in mathematics are crucial for academic engagement and future choices.
• Understanding the role of parental and teacher perceptions in shaping these values is essential.
• Expectancy-value and self-determination theories provide frameworks for examining motivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how perceived overestimation of mathematical ability by parents and teachers influences adolescents' intrinsic and utility math task values.
• To examine the longitudinal trajectories of these task values, controlling for academic achievement.
• To differentiate the influences of parental versus teacher perceptions and their timing.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study with 1,271 Australian secondary students across 4 waves (Grades 7-10).
• Employed structural equation modeling to analyze developmental trajectories.
• Controlled for students' measured mathematical achievement.

Main Results:

• Student-perceived overestimation by parents and teachers positively predicted changes in intrinsic and utility math task values.
• Parental overestimations consistently predicted intrinsic task value changes, while teacher influences emerged after Grade 8.
• Parental influences were stronger for intrinsic than utility values; teacher influences were similar for both.

Conclusions:

• Perceived encouragement from parents and teachers regarding mathematical ability fosters positive math task values in adolescents.
• Parental and teacher support mechanisms differ, with teachers' influence becoming significant post-Grade 8 transition.
• Longitudinal data reveal increasing effects of perceived overestimations, particularly for intrinsic task values, during adolescence.