Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
10:26
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
4.3K
Developing a scale for mathematics vocabulary self-efficacy: Variations among primary, middle, and high school
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|December 26, 2025
Summary
This study introduces the Mathematics Vocabulary Self-Efficacy scale, finding that students' confidence in math vocabulary changes with grade level. The scale assesses beliefs about understanding and using math terms.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Mathematics Education
Background:
- Mathematics vocabulary is crucial for student development.
- Self-efficacy theory provides a framework for understanding students' beliefs about their abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Mathematics Vocabulary Self-Efficacy scale.
- To assess students' beliefs in comprehending and utilizing mathematics vocabulary across school levels.
- To examine developmental differences in mathematics vocabulary self-efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory factor analysis (N=600) identified a four-factor structure: Technical, Sub-technical, Symbolic, and General.
- Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (N=653) confirmed the structure and demonstrated measurement invariance across primary, middle, and high school levels.
- Latent mean analysis compared self-efficacy levels across educational stages.
Main Results:
- A consistent four-factor structure for mathematics vocabulary self-efficacy was identified.
- Measurement invariance was confirmed across primary, middle, and high school students.
- High school students showed higher self-efficacy in symbolic vocabulary, while middle schoolers excelled in technical, sub-technical, and general vocabulary.
Conclusions:
- Students' mathematics vocabulary self-efficacy varies significantly across educational stages.
- The developed scale offers a unique perspective on students' confidence with math vocabulary, distinct from knowledge assessments.
- Findings provide valuable insights for educators to enhance mathematics vocabulary instruction.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Self-Efficacy
175
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to organize and execute actions necessary to manage prospective situations. This belief significantly influences how individuals approach goals, tasks, and challenges across different domains of life.Psychological and Educational ImpactsIndividuals with strong self-efficacy are more resilient in the face of difficulties. They are more likely to adopt effective problem-solving strategies, persist through obstacles, and regulate emotions such as...
175
01:28Self-Esteem
180
Self-esteem, a core aspect of psychological well-being, reflects an individual's positive and negative self-evaluation in terms of worth, competence, and overall value. It is both a stable trait and a dynamic process, influenced by experiences and social interactions across the lifespan. While global self-esteem offers a general assessment, research highlights that self-esteem is multidimensional and varies across specific life domains.Domain-Specific Self-EsteemResearchers have delineated...
180
01:24Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
168
Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem:...
168
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.7K
01:29Reliability and Validity
13.7K
Reliability and validity are two important considerations that must be made with any type of data collection. Reliability refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. In the context of psychological research, this would mean that any instruments or tools used to collect data do so in consistent, reproducible ways.
13.7K
01:29Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
248
The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
248