Students’ Motivation for Learning Mathematics in Mathematical and Language-Program Gymnasiums

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences between students of mathematical-program gymnasiums and language-program gymnasiums regarding their expectancies of success, subjective values and attributions of success in mathematics and how these variables predict different educational choices: the intention of choosing the higher level of mathematics at the State Matura examinations (national exit examinations) and the intention of choosing the undergraduate studies for which mathematics is important. The sample consisted of 191 students from mathematical-program gymnasiums and 146 students from language-program gymnasiums. The results show that students from mathematical gymnasiums have higher expectancies of success and subjective values in mathematics. There were no differences regarding the attributions of success. Hierarchical regression analyses for both groups showed that, when predicting choice of higher level of mathematics on exit examinations, attributions were significant predictors, but only in the first step. In the second step, only expectancy of success remained as a statistically significant predictor. For both groups expectancy of success, together with the utility value, were significant predictors of the choice of undergraduate studies for which mathematics is important.