2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Introduction
Motivation tends to decline over time in STEM disciplines, leading to decrements in achievement and persistence (Robinson et al., 2019). For Black, Latine, Native-American, and first-generation students, this motivation loss may be more substantial because they experience additional contextual barriers that are unique to their identities (e.g., discriminatory treatment). We used the expectancy-value-cost motivational framework (Barron & Hulleman, 2015) to investigate factors that contribute to the differential rate of motivation loss in students from marginalized versus non-marginalized groups.

Methods
We collected data as part of a larger study (NSF HRD#2000507) aimed at examining the effects of a motivation-supporting intervention on students’ math outcomes. To eliminate the confounding effects of the intervention on students’ motivational change, we limited our sample to students in the control condition (N = 1,231). Students were recruited from 13 community colleges in the Southeast U.S. and were 64.1% female, 40.3% first-generation, and 32.3% Black, Latine, or Native-American (racial minority). Students’ motivational beliefs (expectancies, values, costs) were assessed at weeks 1, 3, 5, and 14 , allowing us to examine changes in these beliefs over time. Students’ perceptions of how they were treated by their instructors were assessed at week 1. At week 15, institutions provided students’ math grades. Our analyses controlled for clustering effects of students in the same course. Latent curve growth modeling was employed to address our research questions.

Results and Discussion
Results indicated that racial minority students had similarly high initial levels of expectancies for success (b = .09, p = .112) and values (b = .14, p = .126), though higher levels of cost (b = .16, p = .010), compared to racial majority students (White & Asian). First-generation and continuing-generation students also had similar initial levels of motivational beliefs (expectancies, b = -.04, p = .400; values, b = .09, p = .231; costs, b = -.08, p = .127). Although expectancies declined significantly over time (Mslope = .26, p < .001) and costs increased significantly (Mslope = -.24, p < .001) for all students, expectancies declined more for racial minority compared to majority students (b = -.19, p = .028). For first-generation students, values decreased (b = -.20, p = .017) and costs increased more steeply (b = .16, p = .033) compared to continuing-generation students. Because the change in expectancies (b = 1.13, p < .001), values (b = 1.00, p = .038), and costs (b = -.80, p < .001) significantly predicted math achievement, we explored the contextual indicators that could explain the differential rate of motivational loss among marginalized students. Results suggested that perceptions of fair and respectful treatment by instructors attenuated the decrease in expectancies for racially marginalized students (b = -.35, p = .015). This variable did not predict the rate of motivational change for racial majority students (b = -.12, p = .132). Our findings suggest that improving the context through the provision of fair and respectful treatment to students could support racial minority students’ motivation and achievement and reduce equity gaps.