Changes in mathematics self-concept and interest are independent of prior achievement and do not predict later achievement¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r1–r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Prior teacher-rated grade and test performance did not predict changes in self-concept or interest, contrary to expectations. → Lehikoinen 2025 q2 i? Neither initial levels nor changes in self-concept and interest predicted later mathematics test performance or teacher-rated grades. → Lehikoinen 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Lehikoinen 2025¶

Lehikoinen, H., Väisänen, P., Havu-Nuutinen, S., Lappalainen, K., & Niemivirta, M. (2025). Developmental relations between mathematics self-concept, interest, and achievement: A comparison of solo- and co-taught classes. Instructional Science, 53, 239–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-024-09678-4

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Conditional parallel process model (N = 146) with teaching condition, prior test performance, prior grade, and gender as predictors. Only prior teacher-rated grade predicted the onset of self-concept (β = 0.61, p < .001); the article reports changes were "independent of previous achievement".

"Contrary to our expectation, teaching condition was not predictive of changes in self-concept and interest."

Lehikoinen 2025 (2)¶

Lehikoinen, H., Väisänen, P., Havu-Nuutinen, S., Lappalainen, K., & Niemivirta, M. (2025). Developmental relations between mathematics self-concept, interest, and achievement: A comparison of solo- and co-taught classes. Instructional Science, 53, 239–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-024-09678-4

q2 · i? · causal · r1

In the full model with end-of-year test performance and teacher-rated grade as outcomes, neither levels nor slopes of self-concept and interest significantly predicted later mathematics performance. Table 4 prints the standardised path coefficients, all nonsignificant: self-concept level β = 0.14 (test) and 0.17 (grade), self-concept slope β = −0.01 and 0.16, interest level β = −0.04 and 0.00, interest slope β = 0.04 and −0.11 (all p > .18).

"against our assumptions, neither the initial levels nor changes in self-concept and interest predicted later mathematics performance"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Academic Self-Concept — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Prior Knowledge — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• Co-teaching does not differ from solo teaching in the development of students' mathematics self-concept and interest — related
• Co-teaching predicts better teacher-rated mathematics grades at year end, but not test performance — related
• Learners invest more effort in tasks they perceive as interesting, personally important, or useful to their future goals. — reports the opposite
• Learners' task-specific self-efficacy beliefs predict whether they initiate, persist through, and recover from difficulty on academic tasks. — reports the opposite
• Mathematics achievement correlates more strongly with learners' knowledge, skills and cognitive abilities than with their personality traits, goals or emotions — a broader claim this one bears on
• Sixth-graders' mathematics self-concept and individual interest both decline over one school year — related
• Engagement profiles do not differ in prior knowledge, chemistry self-concept, or interest, addressing a motivation confound — related
• Graded versus verbal-report elementary students showed no systematic differences except declining joy of learning in mathematics for graded students (review-reported) — related
• Prior knowledge directly predicted all three formative assessments (β=.11, β=.24, β=.11) but no future interest outcomes. — related
• Teachers' early expectations predict students' later perceived competence in physical education beyond students' background characteristics — related