Motivational Profiles in Mathematics among Chinese Secondary School Students and Their Relations with Perceived Parent/Teacher Goals and Academic Achievement

This study identified maths motivation profiles in a sample of 878 Chinese secondary school students, and examined the effects of perceived parent/teacher achievement goals on maths motivation profiles and the effects of the latter on academic outcomes. Latent profile analysis conducting on three achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) and four interest components (emotion, value, knowledge, engagement) identified four profiles: "medium, high all, low, and high mastery-oriented and interest." Students who perceived more parent/teacher mastery-approach and performance-approach goals were more likely to belong to the high all profiles. Students with the high all and the high mastery-oriented and interest profiles showed the highest use of deep and surface learning strategies and maths achievement. The results revealed distinct motivational profiles by integrating achievement goal theory and four-phase interest development theory, and provided preliminary evidence to help parents and teachers enhance students' maths motivation.