View in EDS

A Person-Centered Approach to Action-Control Beliefs of Students With Special Educational Needs and Their Relation to Student Performance and Time on Task.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: A Person-Centered Approach to Action-Control Beliefs of Students With Special Educational Needs and Their Relation to Student Performance and Time on Task.
Authors: Nyman, Laura1,2 (AUTHOR) laura.k.nyman@tuni.fi, Koivuhovi, Satu1,3 (AUTHOR), Greiff, Samuel4 (AUTHOR), Hotulainen, Risto1 (AUTHOR), Little, Todd D.5,6 (AUTHOR), Vainikainen, Mari-Pauliina1,2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Educational Psychology. Apr2026, Vol. 118 Issue 3, p421-443. 23p.
Subject Terms: *Motivation (Psychology), *Time on task (Education), *Cognition, *Academic achievement, *Educational intervention, *Children with disabilities, Latent class analysis (Statistics)
Abstract: While effort and motivation are crucial for academic success, research on their relation to academic success of students with special educational needs (SEN) is inconclusive, largely due to the heterogeneity of students with SEN and their diverse motivational characteristics. The aim of this study is to address this gap by utilizing person-centered latent profile analysis to identify distinct profiles based on students' control-related motivational beliefs, and to examine how students' SEN status is associated with the likelihood of exhibiting certain profiles. In addition, we explore how these motivational profiles differ in terms of student performance, including academic achievement (student-reported grade point average) and cognitive tasks (learning to learn tasks), as well as task behavior, specifically time on task (log data) as an indicator of effort. Analyzing national-level data from Finnish ninth graders with and without SEN status (N = 6,942), four motivational profiles emerged: agentic, moderate, avoidant, and mixed. Although SEN students were depicted in all motivational profiles, they were more likely to belong to profiles demonstrating more maladaptive motivational patterns, less time on task, and lower cognitive task achievement. Through these findings, we highlight the importance of a person-centered approach to students' beliefs in identifying different reasons and consequences for performance. We also contribute to research on students' motivational patterns and behavior-related factors explaining differences in task performance that can be further explored using computer-based assessment and log analytics. Educators and policy makers can apply these valuable insights to support students with diverse motivational profiles and learning needs. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Our research revealed that students with special educational needs displayed more maladaptive patterns than their peers without special educational needs, which was worthy of investigation. Upon further investigation, more maladaptive patterns of motivational beliefs were associated with less time on task and poorer cognitive performance, as indicated by the log data. This crucial insight underlines the importance of recognizing and addressing the diverse motivational pathways that influence students' educational outcomes. By customizing interventions to the unique motivational and task-behavioral patterns, it is possible to create more effective educational strategies that better address students' specific needs and promote academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Educational Psychology is the property of American Psychological Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:While effort and motivation are crucial for academic success, research on their relation to academic success of students with special educational needs (SEN) is inconclusive, largely due to the heterogeneity of students with SEN and their diverse motivational characteristics. The aim of this study is to address this gap by utilizing person-centered latent profile analysis to identify distinct profiles based on students' control-related motivational beliefs, and to examine how students' SEN status is associated with the likelihood of exhibiting certain profiles. In addition, we explore how these motivational profiles differ in terms of student performance, including academic achievement (student-reported grade point average) and cognitive tasks (learning to learn tasks), as well as task behavior, specifically time on task (log data) as an indicator of effort. Analyzing national-level data from Finnish ninth graders with and without SEN status (N = 6,942), four motivational profiles emerged: agentic, moderate, avoidant, and mixed. Although SEN students were depicted in all motivational profiles, they were more likely to belong to profiles demonstrating more maladaptive motivational patterns, less time on task, and lower cognitive task achievement. Through these findings, we highlight the importance of a person-centered approach to students' beliefs in identifying different reasons and consequences for performance. We also contribute to research on students' motivational patterns and behavior-related factors explaining differences in task performance that can be further explored using computer-based assessment and log analytics. Educators and policy makers can apply these valuable insights to support students with diverse motivational profiles and learning needs. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Our research revealed that students with special educational needs displayed more maladaptive patterns than their peers without special educational needs, which was worthy of investigation. Upon further investigation, more maladaptive patterns of motivational beliefs were associated with less time on task and poorer cognitive performance, as indicated by the log data. This crucial insight underlines the importance of recognizing and addressing the diverse motivational pathways that influence students' educational outcomes. By customizing interventions to the unique motivational and task-behavioral patterns, it is possible to create more effective educational strategies that better address students' specific needs and promote academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00220663
DOI:10.1037/edu0001000