High school students' mathematics self-efficacy and achievement: Considering ethnicity and school belonging

Past research indicates that students' sense of school belonging and ethnicity predict mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement. Research further suggests school belonging and ethnicity to potentially moderate the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement. The present study employed hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationships among students' school belonging, ethnicity, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement using a nationally representative dataset. Findings indicated that school belonging and ethnicity significantly predicted mathematics self-efficacy, and that mathematics achievement varied significantly across ethnic groups. School belonging did not significantly predict mathematics achievement. Results also supported a significant interaction among ethnicity, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement, such that for students who identified as White, Asian, Hispanic, and Other, increased mathematics self-efficacy significantly predicted increased mathematics achievement. However, for Black students, the effect for mathematics self-efficacy on mathematics achievement was non-significant. Results did not reveal a significant interaction among school belonging, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement. Concluding remarks include a discussion of implications for educational practice as well as future directions.