Academic Expectancies of Significant Others and Elementary Students' Learning Engagement and Outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58197/c8kfx397Keywords:
academic expectancies, learning engagement, perceived academic competence, expectancy-value theory, teacher influence, aspiration-expectation gapAbstract
This study investigates the mechanisms through which significant others' academic expectancies—specifically those of parents and teachers—influence elementary students' learning engagement and achievement, with a focus on the mediating role of perceived academic competence (PAC). Drawing on Expectancy-Value Theory, a two-wave correlational design was employed with 100 fourth-grade students, their parents, and teachers in a Zimbabwean public school. Results reveal that teachers' expectations strongly predict students' PAC, engagement, and achievement, with PAC fully mediating this relationship. In contrast, parental aspirations and expectations showed negligible direct effects, potentially due to less explicit communication within the family context. A notable aspiration-expectation gap was observed among parents, and maladaptive failure attributions were correlated with lower engagement. The findings highlight the central role of teachers as expectancy socializers and underscore the importance of clear, communicated expectations and adaptive attributions in fostering student motivation and engagement.
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