Expectancies of success and intrinsic task value positively predict achievement test scores, but language-related variables show no indirect effects on achievement via these beliefs¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? There were no significant indirect effects of the experimental conditions, language abilities, or their interactions on achievement except a total indirect effect of language abilities (β = 0.16, p = .049). → Lina Wirth 2026

Evidence¶

Lina Wirth 2026¶

Lina Wirth, Timo Ehmke, Jan Retelsdorf, Poldi Kuhl. (2026). Linguistic demands of instructions: Effects on students’ expectancy-value beliefs. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-026-09799-y

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Mediation analysis within the same path model found "neither significant partial indirect effects … nor significant total indirect effects, except for a total indirect effect of language abilities" on achievement; equivalence was not tested.

"there were neither significant partial indirect effects of these variables on achievement test scores via expectancies of success and intrinsic task value nor significant total indirect effects, except for a total indirect effect of language abilities"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Motivation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Under linguistically difficult instruction, higher language ability is associated with lower expectancies of success — the opposite direction of the hypothesized moderation — related
• Students’ language abilities positively predict their expectancies of success while learning from an instructional video, but not their intrinsic task value — related
• Learners invest more effort in tasks they perceive as interesting, personally important, or useful to their future goals. — a broader claim this one bears on
• Instruction should present the learning task as engaging and meaningful and promote positive expectations of success, because effort requires that learners value the task and believe they can succeed — a broader claim this one bears on
• Linguistically varying an instructional video into easy, moderate, and difficult versions does not significantly affect students’ expectancies of success or intrinsic task value compared with the moderate version — related
• Expectancies for success predict academic achievement more strongly than task values — related
• Fifth-grade self-efficacy is associated with later math and reading growth (.15 and .19 standardized units per SD), mediating ELL status's indirect negative association with growth — related