Journal Article

Directionality of the Associations of High School Expectancy-Value, Aspirations, and Attainment: A Longitudinal Study

Morin, Alexandre J. S., Parker, Philip D., Marsh, Herbert W., Kaur, Gurvinder, Guo, Jiesi

2015

Overview

(This study examines the directionality of the associations among cognitive assets (IQ, academic achievement), motivational beliefs (academic self-concept, task values), and educational and occupational aspirations over time from late adolescence (Grade 10) into early adulthood (5 years post high school). Participants were from a nationally representative sample of U.S. boys N = 2,213). The results suggest that (a) self-concept and intrinsic value have reciprocal effects with academic achievement and predict educational attainment, (b) self-concept is consistently found to predict occupational aspirations, (c) the associations between achievement and aspirations are partially mediated by motivational beliefs, and (d) academic self-concept in high school had stronger long-term indirect effects on future occupational aspirations and educational attainment than task values and IQ.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,American Educational Research Association
• Subject: Academic Ability / Academic Achievement / Academic Aspiration / Aspiration / Beliefs / Correlation / Educational Attainment / Expectancy value theory / Expectations / Futures (of Society) / Goodness of Fit / Grades (Scholastic) / High School Students / Intelligence Quotient / Intelligence Tests / Longitudinal Studies / Measures (Individuals) / Occupational Aspiration / Path Analysis / Prediction / Predictor variables / School to work transition / Secondary education / Secondary schools / Self Concept / Self esteem / Self motivation / Structural Equation Models / Student Attitudes / Student Motivation / Teaching, Learning, and Human Development / Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale