Relationship between students' math engagement and math teachers' motivational support

Abstract

This study intended to explore the relationship between middle school students' engagement in mathematics classes and mathematics teachers' motivational support. Explanatory correlational research design was used for this purpose. Participants were composed of 612 students attending 6th, 7th and 8th grades in Alanya district of Antalya Province. Effective Participation Scale and Teachers' Motivational Support Scale were used in data collection. The relationship between the datasets of middle school students' engagement in mathematics classes and their perceptions regarding mathematics teachers' motivational support was investigated via canonical correlation analysis. Findings obtained showed that mathematics teachers' autonomy support provided to middle school 6th, 7th, 8th grade students positively affected their behavioral engagement and emotional engagement. It was also identified that mathematics teachers' autonomy and relatedness support provided to middle school 6th, 7th, 8th grade students negatively affected their emotional disaffection towards mathematics classes.