Exploring the Interplay Among Effort, Motivation, and Self-efficacy in High School Mathematics and ACT Math Achievement

This study examines the relationship between high school students' attributions of effort, motivation, and self-efficacy as they relate to ACT math scores. Despite the important role of standardized tests in determining college admissions, there has been little research conducted to determine how students feel about these attributions and how they relate to math grades and ACT scores. A total of 52 juniors and seniors from local high schools participated in this study, which was conducted over the summer through voluntary participation following email invitations. The study was designed to measure students' self-reported effort, motivation, and self-efficacy using a survey instrument. Future research in this area with much larger groups is recommended. It is also recommended that this study be conducted during an in-session school year for the possibility of a much higher participation rate. This study examined the relationship among students' self-efficacy in math, academic behaviors, and ACT scores. Weak positive correlations were found between ACT scores and absences, tardiness, paying attention, keeping organized notes, study time, participating in math clubs, and actively engaging in class, though none were statistically significant. An independent samples t-test showed no statistically significant difference in ACT scores between students who took only requisite math courses and those who also took advanced math courses, with small effect sizes. Additionally, Pearson's correlation tests revealed no significant relationships between ACT scores and students' beliefs about their math abilities, such as remembering steps, answering questions aloud, and general confidence in math. Although some trends were observed, none of the correlations were significant enough to suggest meaningful impacts on ACT performance. These results show that just taking more advanced courses doesn't always lead to better results.