| Mathematic excellence is stressed in American society as an ideal towards which students strive. However, in practicality, evidence indicates that students continue to struggle to master basic skills and that we as a nation lag behind our international peers in mathematic performance and progress (Lemke et al., 2004). Not only is there a gap between desired and actual math performance levels, but there are gender inequities that continue in student intentions to take advanced math courses and ultimately in pursuits of math-related careers (National Science Foundation, 2002).;The present study was conducted to clarify and add to previous research. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) self-report was used to investigate student differences between 115 undergraduates in Foundations of Math classes and 232 undergraduates in more advanced Elementary Calculus classes at an urban university. Motivation and metacognitive strategy variables, including task-value, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and critical thinking skills, were examined to determine their relation to math achievement. Final semester grades were obtained as the dependent variable. Finally, gender differences among these variables were analyzed in relation to math performance, as well as to self-reports to pursue future math coursework.;MANOVA results suggested that, as predicted, the calculus students reported higher levels of intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and task-value for their math classes in comparison to the basic math students; and, in comparison to the males, females reported lower levels of self-efficacy, higher levels of effort, and higher levels of math test anxiety. Regression analyses results were contradictory to previous research and indicated that task-value negatively predicted grades for males, and that task-value and self-regulation negatively predicted grades for the calculus students. Females reported higher levels than the males of cognitive and metacognitive strategy use, although these strategies were not strong predictors of their grades, and females reported similar levels to males of intentions to pursue future math coursework, both of which were contrary to previous research.;Implications from these findings were that future research should be conducted in an attempt to replicate these findings, to examine the effectiveness of academic interventions, and to investigate cultural differences among students' mathematic performance. |
