ATTITUDE TOWARD SELF, SOCIAL-FACTORS, AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS - A METAANALYTIC REVIEW

This meta-analysis integrated 143 primary studies on the relationship of attitude toward self and social factors with achievement in mathema tics. Attitude was decomposed into self-concept about mathematics, per ception of family support, and perception of mathematics as a male dom ain. Major findings included: (a) self-concept, family support, and ma thematics as a male domain were all related to achievement; (b) the th ree relationships did not show significant gender differences; (c) the three relationships consistently decreased from the junior high grade s to the senior high grades; (d) the relationship between self-concept and achievement varied as a function of ethnicity, whereas the relati onship between family support and achievement was consistent across et hnic background. (e) the three relationships all varied across sample selection; (f) the relationship between self-concept and achievement v aried with sample size, whereas the relationships of family support an d mathematics as a male domain with achievement were sample-size invar iant; (g) the relationship between self-concept and achievement increa sed over time, whereas the relationships of family support and mathema tics as a male domain with achievement remained almost unchanged over time; and (h) there were no statistically significant interaction effe cts among gender grade, and ethnicity for any of the three relationshi ps.