Trajectories of Weekly Interest, Competence Beliefs, and Belonging in a General Chemistry Course

Abstract

Using an intensive longitudinal design, we examined the development of students’ weekly interest, competence beliefs, and belonging across a single semester of general chemistry 1 (N = 694). We also examined race, gender, first-generation status, and the modality of viewing lectures as predictors and final chemistry interest, final exam scores, and persistence to general chemistry 2 as outcomes. Latent growth curve models indicated declines in all three weekly motivational beliefs. Next, we found that students who always viewed the lectures in-person, compared to those who sometimes viewed the lecture online and sometimes in-person, had higher initial levels of weekly interest and had slower declines in competence beliefs. Women had lower initial levels of weekly belonging, but slower declines throughout the semester compared to men. Students who reported higher initial weekly interest, competence beliefs, and belonging, and who had slower declines in those beliefs reported higher final chemistry interest. Those with higher initial levels of weekly interest and belonging and those with slower declines in competence beliefs and belonging had higher final exam scores. Finally, those with slower declines in weekly interest, competence beliefs, and belonging were more likely to persist to general chemistry 2. Results suggest that individual factors like gender and lecture modality significantly predicted motivational beliefs. Additionally, these motivational beliefs are strong predictors of academic outcomes, including final exam scores and persistence in the course sequence.