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Domain‐Specific Pathways of Instructional Clarity, Motivation, and Academic Achievement: Evidence From TIMSS 2019 in Australia.

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Title: Domain‐Specific Pathways of Instructional Clarity, Motivation, and Academic Achievement: Evidence From TIMSS 2019 in Australia.
Authors: Zhang, Fa (AUTHOR), Zhang, Xia (AUTHOR), Wang, Yu (AUTHOR)
Source: Psychology in the Schools. Aug2025, Vol. 62 Issue 8, p2408-2420. 13p.
Subjects: Academic motivation, Structural equation modeling, Domain specificity, Academic achievement, Teaching methods, Expectancy-value theory, Achievement
Abstract: This study investigated how domain specificity of academic motivation related to the connection between instructional clarity and academic achievement in science and mathematics. It focused on three aspects of domain‐specific academic motivation—self‐concept, intrinsic value, and utility value—drawing from the Expectancy‐Value Theory model. The study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 9060 eighth‐grade students in Australia, with an average age of 14.1 years. After controlling for student demographics, socioeconomic status, and parental education level, the findings from structural equation modeling showed that instructional clarity positively related to students' mathematics achievement but did not significantly relate to their science achievement. Academic self‐concept in both science and mathematics subjects was identified as the strongest motivational factor in student achievement. Additionally, the study demonstrated that instructional clarity was a stronger predictor of academic motivation to learn science compared to mathematics. These results offer empirical support for the connection between instructional clarity and students' academic achievement in science and mathematics via a domain‐specific motivational pathway. Summary: Motivational interventions should be tailored to each subject, recognizing that self‐concept, intrinsic value, and utility value function differently in science and mathematics, with specific strategies designed for each domain. Instructional clarity is crucial for fostering student motivation, particularly in mathematics, where clear teaching methods directly influence both motivation and academic achievement. Boosting students' self‐concept is key to improving academic outcomes, as a positive self‐belief correlates strongly with success in both science and mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Psychology in the Schools is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Domain‐Specific Pathways of Instructional Clarity, Motivation, and Academic Achievement: Evidence From TIMSS 2019 in Australia.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Fa%22">Zhang, Fa</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Xia%22">Zhang, Xia</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Yu%22">Wang, Yu</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Psychology+in+the+Schools%22">Psychology in the Schools</searchLink>. Aug2025, Vol. 62 Issue 8, p2408-2420. 13p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+motivation%22">Academic motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+equation+modeling%22">Structural equation modeling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Domain+specificity%22">Domain specificity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+achievement%22">Academic achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expectancy-value+theory%22">Expectancy-value theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement%22">Achievement</searchLink>
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  Data: This study investigated how domain specificity of academic motivation related to the connection between instructional clarity and academic achievement in science and mathematics. It focused on three aspects of domain‐specific academic motivation—self‐concept, intrinsic value, and utility value—drawing from the Expectancy‐Value Theory model. The study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 9060 eighth‐grade students in Australia, with an average age of 14.1 years. After controlling for student demographics, socioeconomic status, and parental education level, the findings from structural equation modeling showed that instructional clarity positively related to students' mathematics achievement but did not significantly relate to their science achievement. Academic self‐concept in both science and mathematics subjects was identified as the strongest motivational factor in student achievement. Additionally, the study demonstrated that instructional clarity was a stronger predictor of academic motivation to learn science compared to mathematics. These results offer empirical support for the connection between instructional clarity and students' academic achievement in science and mathematics via a domain‐specific motivational pathway. Summary: Motivational interventions should be tailored to each subject, recognizing that self‐concept, intrinsic value, and utility value function differently in science and mathematics, with specific strategies designed for each domain. Instructional clarity is crucial for fostering student motivation, particularly in mathematics, where clear teaching methods directly influence both motivation and academic achievement. Boosting students' self‐concept is key to improving academic outcomes, as a positive self‐belief correlates strongly with success in both science and mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Psychology in the Schools is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/pits.23474
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Structural equation modeling
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      – SubjectFull: Domain specificity
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      – SubjectFull: Academic achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Teaching methods
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      – SubjectFull: Expectancy-value theory
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      – SubjectFull: Achievement
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      – TitleFull: Domain‐Specific Pathways of Instructional Clarity, Motivation, and Academic Achievement: Evidence From TIMSS 2019 in Australia.
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              M: 08
              Text: Aug2025
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              Y: 2025
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