Investigating Mathematics Students' Motivational Beliefs and Perceptions: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the factorial structure of motivation and perception items from a student survey utilised as part of the Reframing Mathematical Futures II (RMFII) Project. Data was collected in 2017 from 442 students in Years 7 to 10 from various different States across Australia. An exploratory factor analysis identified four factors which were consistent with the studies the items were adapted from: Intrinsic and Cognitive Value of Mathematics, Instrumental Value of Mathematics, Mathematics Effort, and Social Impact of School Mathematics. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) also revealed that there were statistically significant differences between Year Level and State for some of these factors.