Achievement values are “the incentives or purposes that individuals have for succeeding on a given task” (Wigfield, 1994, p. 102). Children’s achievement values affect their self-regulation and motivation because goals influence how children approach, engage in, and respond to academic tasks (Hidi & Harackiewicz, 2000). “When students value a task, they will be more likely to engage in it, expend more effort on it, and do better on it” (Wigfield, 1994, p. 102). Research indicates that children’s subjective task values are strong predictors of children’s intentions and decisions to continue taking coursework in both Math and English (Wigfield, 1994; Wigfield & Eccles, 2000).
Eccles and Wigfield hypothesized that students’ motivation to complete tasks stems from the attainment value, utility value, and intrinsic value associated with the task (Wigfield, 1994), as well as with the costs associated with engaging in the task. In the remainder of this CD, we will provide strategies and interventions designed to increase the value associated with scholastic tasks. You can implement the suggested classroom strategies with the entire class. They should have a positive impact on any student’s motivation. The individual conferences are designed specifically for use with academic underachievers.