A Multi-Method Investigation of Mathematics Motivation for Elementary Age Students.

This paper presents the results of a multi-method study examining elementary students with high self-reported levels of mathematics motivation. Second- through fifth-grade students at a Title One school in the southeastern United States completed the Elementary Mathematics Motivation Instrument ( EMMI), which examines levels of mathematics motivation across three subscales: (a) Math Anxiety, (b) Self-Efficacy, and (c) Value of Math. Results from this quantitative phase were used to identify a sample for a qualitative phase examining how students who report high levels of motivation perceive mathematics. The resulting qualitative phase utilized a phenomenological design to explore mathematics motivation for a particular set of students in a fifth-grade setting. Findings indicate that elementary students with high mathematics motivation value mathematics as a present and future oriented discipline and value teachers that deemphasize testing as a measure of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]