| The primary objective of this study was to determine the degree to which constructs prominent in the area of academic motivation predict the executive help-seeking, instrumental help-seeking, perceived benefits of help-seeking, and avoidance of help-seeking of high school students enrolled in computer science (N = 314). Separate analyses were conducted for boys and for girls, as well as for African American, Asian American, and White students. Because instruments with sound empirical properties were not available, scales were first created or adapted for each help-seeking construct. Results from exploratory factor analyses, reliability estimates, intercorrelations, and correlations with motivation variables showed that the new scales had stronger psychometric properties than did those previously in use. Task goals and performance-avoid goals were more consistent predictors of academic help-seeking than were self-efficacy, self-concept, self-efficacy for self-regulation, anxiety, or computer science capability. Task goals were positively associated with adaptive help-seeking variables such as seeking instrumental help and perceiving the benefits of help-seeking and negatively associated with maladaptive variables such as seeking executive help or avoiding help-seeking; performance-avoid goals were negatively associated with adaptive help-seeking and positively associated with maladaptive help-seeking. There were no differences in help-seeking by gender or by ethnicity. However, despite possessing equal computer science skills, girls reported lower self-efficacy, self-concept, self-efficacy for self-regulation, and value, as well as higher anxiety, than did boys. These findings are consistent with those of researchers who report differences favoring boys in areas such as mathematics, science, and technology. Implications and recommendations are included. |
