Socio-economic status, gender and achievement: the mediating role of expectancy and subjective task value

Expectancy-Value Theory predicts that expectancy of success and subjective task value (STV) underlie differences in motivation achievement. This study investigated how gender SES related to achievement mediated by success, STV, their interaction. The sample consisted 396 participants final year upper secondary education. Self-report measures were completed expectancy, socio-economic indicators. These linked exit examination grades (A Levels). Only parental education was directly however indirectly student through the expectancy-STV Males, students with a higher level education, from households number possessions, all performed better due expectations; STV amplified these relations. Gender can be partly explained psychological factors, namely students’ expectations STV.