The role of learning style in the relationship between task value, self-efficacy, and math achievement: A moderated mediation analysis

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the complex relationships among task value, self-efficacy, learning style, and mathematics achievement using a moderated mediation analysis. The research group was comprised of 378 eighth-grade students from public schools, selected through a convenient sampling approach. Data were gathered using a demographic information questionnaire, the Self and Task Perception in Mathematics Inventory, the Motivating Strategies in Learning Scale, and a Learning Style Inventory. A moderated mediation analysis was employed, with the Process macro being utilised to facilitate the simultaneous incorporation of mediators and moderators within a unified analytical framework. The findings revealed that the relationship between task value, self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement is intricate and varies depending on the students' learning styles. The role of self-efficacy as a mediator between task value and mathematics achievement is influenced by the students' learning styles. Self-efficacy is more significant in mediating the relationship between task value and mathematics achievement in students with assimilator and converger learning styles. Additionally, the correlation between self-efficacy and mathematics achievement is more robust in students with assimilator and converger learning styles than in those with divergent and accommodator learning styles. Based on the findings, recommendations have been developed to enhance students' motivation and mathematics achievements according to their respective learning styles.