The role of self-efficacy, task value, achievement goals and cognitive engagement in mathematics achievement: Testing a causal model

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self-efficacy, task value, mastery, performance-approach, performance-avoidance and cognitive engagement on students’ mathematics achievement using path analysis. 280 third grade high school students majoring in mathematics in a high school in the city of Mahabad participated in the study. The students filled out Middleton and Midgley’s Mathematics Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (1997), Midgley et. al’s Achievement Goals Scale (2000), Pintrich et. al’s Task Value Subscale (1991), and Kember et. al’s Deep and Surface Learning Strategy Subscale (2004). The results of path analysis revealed that the exogenous variables of self-efficacy and task value exerted a direct, positive and significant effect on mathematics achievement. The direct effect of self-efficacy on mastery, performance – approach and performance – avoidance goals, as well as deep cognitive engagement was also significant. Task value had an indirect significant effect on mathematics achievement with mastery goals and deep cognitive engagement being the mediating variables; however, the indirect effect of selfefficacy on mathematics achievement was not significant. Mastery goals had an indirect, positive and significant effect on mathematics achievement, while deep and surface learning strategies were the mediating variables. on the other hand, performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals had an indirect negative effect on mathematics achievement through surface cognitive engagement. The direct effect of deep cognitive engagement on mathematics achievement was not significant, however, surface cognitive engagement had a direct, negative and significant effect on mathematics achievement.