• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.501-522
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• 2010

In this study, 'Instruments of the achievement attribution in mathematical learning' was develop to investigate the reasons of mathematical learning achievement by reflecting Korean middle school and high school students' psychological characters and learning context in mathematical learning. To develop the appropriate items for the achievement attribution in mathematical learning, after reviewing attribution literature thoroughly, first version of the instrument was developed and Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were conducted. Then, to reduce the effect of the gender difference and achievement level difference, Differential Item Functioning was performed. Also, using Multiple group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, this instrument was investigated to see whether this can be used for both middle school and high school. The final items for success attribution are 3 items for luck, 3 items for effort, 2 items for ability. The failure attribution were composed of 3 items for luck, 3 items for effort, 2 items for ability, and 2 items for other. The instrument was developed by using large samples and psychometric analysis. Therefore, mathematic teachers can use this instrument efficiently to make a foundation for better learning environment so students' cognitive area and affective area can be harmonized.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.413-444
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• 2010

The purpose of the present study is to develop an instrument of mathematical learning motivation and causal attribution for students and to analyze the results of the instrument. Based on the literature review, mathematical learning motivation is the cumulative effects of self-assessment and self-regulation in mathematical learning and achievement experience. Three factors of mathematical learning motivation is identified as self-regulatory efficacy, task difficulty and mathematical anxiety with 17 self-regulatory efficacy items, 9 task difficulty items and 9 mathematical anxiety items. Three factors of causal attribution for success is identified as ability/effort, luck, and other person with 6 ability/effort items, 4 luck items and 3 other person items. Also, four factors of causal attribution for failure is identified as ability, effort, luck, and other person with 3 ability items, 7 effort items, 3 luck items and 4 other person items. The instrument of mathematical learning motivation and causal attribution for success and failure was administered to 919 middle school students from eight different middle middle schools in Seoul, Gyeonggi-Do, Busan, jeolla-Do area. The correlation of three factors of mathematical learning motivation was calculated. As a result, a positive correlation between self-regulatory efficacy and task difficulty was appeared but mathematical anxiety has a negative correlation with self-regulatory efficacy and task difficulty. This study also examined the differences about mathematical learning motivation's sub-factors shown by three groups of mathematics achievement level. Students of higher achievement level showed that the degree of self-regulatory efficacy and task difficulty was higher than that of lower level group. Students of lowest achievement level showed significantly higher mathematical anxiety degree than that of middle and high group. Students that have higher degree of self-regulatory efficacy and task difficulty preference were attributed into ability/effort cause toward success of mathematics achievement. Also, Male students preferred more difficult task and higher degree of self-regulatory efficacy in mathematics learning than female students. On the contrary, Female students showed higher mathematical anxiety level than male students.