Abstract

Students’ cost perceptions have been associated with lower retention and academic performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Guided by expectancy-value theory, we examined whether relations between perceived costs and physics outcomes (i.e., engagement and achievement) varied as a function of self-efficacy or task values among undergraduate physics students (N = 1,124). We also examined whether the interactive relations were further moderated by course level in the curricular sequence. Overall, findings from moderated moderation analyses indicated that perceived costs were negatively related to different components of engagement (i.e., effort, persistence, procrastination, and choice) and achievement (i.e., physics course grades). However, the magnitude of relations often depended on levels of self-efficacy or task value. Some of the interactive relations between these variables also differed between introductory- and upper-level physics courses. Taken together, results indicated that higher self-efficacy or task values do not compensate for the negative effects of perceiving high cost on engagement. Moreover, cost perceptions were in some cases more negatively related to engagement when students reported higher self-efficacy or task values. Finally, mitigating cost perceptions may be particularly important in introductory undergraduate physics courses. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

摘要

学生的成本认知与科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 方面的较低保留率和学业成绩有关。在期望值理论的指导下，我们研究了感知成本和物理结果（即参与度和成就）之间的关系是否随着本科物理学生的自我效能或任务价值而变化（N = 1,124)。我们还检查了课程序列中的课程级别是否进一步缓和了互动关系。总体而言，适度调节分析的结果表明，感知成本与参与的不同组成部分（即努力、坚持、拖延和选择）和成就（即物理课程成绩）呈负相关。然而，关系的大小通常取决于自我效能或任务价值的水平。这些变量之间的一些交互关系在入门级和高级物理课程之间也有所不同。总之，结果表明更高的自我效能或任务价值并不能弥补感知高成本对参与的负面影响。而且，当学生报告更高的自我效能或任务价值时，成本感知在某些情况下与参与度更负相关。最后，减轻成本观念在本科物理入门课程中可能尤为重要。讨论了未来研究的意义和方向。