Probing the Unique Contributions of Self-Concept, Task Values, and Their Interactions Using Multiple Value Facets and Multiple Academic Outcomes - AERA Open

Oct 15, 2026

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The study examines how self-concept and task values uniquely predict mathematics achievement, self-reported effort, and teacher-rated behavioral engagement among 1,868 German ninth-grade students. Using expectancy-value theory, it analyzes multiplicative effects through a latent moderated structural equation approach based on a higher-order value-belief structure. Results show self-concept predicting achievement more strongly, value beliefs predicting effort more strongly, and both jointly predicting engagement. Latent interactions between self-concept and value beliefs predict all three outcomes synergistically.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theoretical framework and value beliefs

Study aims and hypotheses

Methods and analysis

Participants and design

Latent moderated structural equation approach

Findings

Differential predictive patterns

Latent interaction effects

Implications

Evaluation in support of expectancy-value theory

AERA Open January-March 2016, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1–20 DOI: 10. 1177/2332858415626884 © The Author(s) 2016. [http://ero.sagepub.com](http://ero.sagepub.com) Probing the Unique Contributions of Self-Concept, Task Values, and Their Interactions Using Multiple Value Facets and Multiple Academic Outcomes Jiesi Guo Australian Catholic University Benjamin Nagengast University of Tübingen Herbert W. Marsh Australian Catholic University King Saud University University of Oxford Augustin Kelava Hanna Gaspard Holger Brandt Jenna Cambria Barbara Flunger University of Tübingen Anna-Lena Dicke University of California at Irvine Isabelle Häfner Brigitte Brisson Ulrich Trautwein University of Tübingen Drawing on expectancy-value theory, the present study examined the unique contributions of the four major value beliefs and self-concept on achievement, self-reported effort, and teacher-rated behavioral engagement in mathematics. In particular, we examined the multiplicative effects of self-concept and task values on educational outcomes using the latent moderated structural equation approach. Participants were 1,868 German ninth-grade students. The data analyses relied on a higher-order structure of value beliefs, which is suited to parsing the differential patterns of predictive relations for different value beliefs. The findings revealed that (a) self-concept was more predictive of achievement, whereas value beliefs were more predictive of self-rated effort;(b) self-concept and value beliefs emerged as equally important predictors of teacher-reported engagement; (c) among the four value beliefs, achievement was more associated with low cost, whereas effort was more associated with attainment value; and (d) latent interactions between self-concept and value beliefs predicted the three outcomes synergistically. Keywords: self-concept, expectancy-value theory, mathematics, achievement, effort, engagement, latent interaction ExpEctancy-valuE theory (EVT; Eccles, 2009; Eccles et al., 1983; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002) is one of the major frameworks for achievement motivation and has been widely used to explain students’ effort, choices, and achievement in relation to academic and nonacademic domains (e.g., sports, music, and social activities). Research based on EVT has demonstrated that competence beliefs and value beliefs represent the most proximal precursors of academic achievement, effort, and engagement (e.g., Eccles, 2009; Guo, Marsh, Morin, Parker, & Kaur, 2015; Wang & Eccles, 2013; Watt et al., 2012). Value beliefs are postulated to be multidimensional—composed of intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and cost (Eccles et al., 1983; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). Although these four components can be empirically differentiated (Conley, 2012; Luttrell et al., 2010; Trautwein et al., 2012), rarely have all four value components been considered simultaneously in one empirical study, Creative Commons CC-BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License ([http://](http://)[ ](http://)[www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/](www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages ([https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access](https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access)at-sage) . Guo et al. particularly in one regression model, to examine the unique contribution of specific value components to the prediction of achievement-related outcomes. In addition to their first-order effects, competence beliefs and value beliefs are assumed to interact with each other in influencing achievement-related behaviors and choices (see Atkinson, 1957; Atkinson & Feather, 1966; Feather, 1982; Vroom, 1964) . In other words, the interactive associations suggest that the relation between c

FAQs

What outcomes does the study investigate for students in mathematics?

The study focuses on math achievement, self-reported math effort, and teacher-rated behavioral engagement.

How does the study test interactions between self-concept and task values?

It uses a latent moderated structural equation approach to examine multiplicative effects between self-concept and task values.

What is the key pattern of prediction found between self-concept and value beliefs?

Self-concept predicts achievement more strongly, while value beliefs predict self-rated effort more strongly; both are similarly important for teacher-reported engagement.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher