The Relationship between Elementary Students’ Achievement Emotions and Sources of Mathematics Self-efficacy

Abstract

The current study examined the structure of achievement emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, boredom) and sources of self-efficacy (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological state) of the elementary students by asking whether the two systems were related. Results revealed that the students enjoyed doing mathematics and felt less anxious and bored in different academic settings. Elementary students’ sources of self-efficacy regarding mastery experience, vicarious experience and social persuasions were found to be sufficient. They held a low level of sources of self-efficacy regarding physiological state. Findings revealed that gender is not a distinguishing factor when explaining students’ achievement emotions and sources of self-efficacy. A significant difference was found between students’ achievement emotions and sources of self-efficacy regarding mathematics achievement. Results of the study revealed that achievement emotions and sources of mathematics self-efficacy were closely intertwined.