Emotions, Self-Regulated Learning, and Achievement in Mathematics: A Growth Curve Analysis

The purpose of the current study was twofold: (a) to investigate the developmental trends of 4 academic emotions (anxiety, boredom, enjoyment, and pride) and (b) to examine whether changes in emotions are linked to the changes in students' self-regulatory strategies (shallow, deep, and meta-cognitive) and achievement in mathematics. Four hundred and ninety-five Grade 7 students completed measures assessing their emotions and self-regulatory strategies in mathematics 3 times across 3 terms in a school year. Students' achievement for each term was collected from school records. Growth curve analyses showed that students' enjoyment and pride in mathematics declined, whereas boredom increased over time. Anxiety remained relatively stable across the study period. The growth curve analyses also showed that changes in positive emotions were systematically associated with changes in self-regulated learning and achievement. Overall, the results suggest that in addition to the will and the skill, students need the thrill to succeed in school.