Expectancy: Can I do this?
How have you convinced your African American students that what you are teaching is meaningful to them and has value for both them and their community?
According to EVT [Expectancy-Value Theory], students’ expectancies for success and task values are two critical factors impacting their motivation, academic performance, and choice of activities. Recent research has suggested that students’ perceptions of the negative consequences of completing a task, called cost, also impact their academic outcomes.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-motivation-and-learning/expectancyvalue-theory-and-its-relevance-for-student-motivation-and-learning/3BED25 Retrieved April 27, 2023
Student Expectancy Crisis: Do I believe that I can really do this?
Student Value Crisis: Why would I even want to do this?
As a teacher, what more will you do to support your African American students when there is an expectancy-value crisis?
Suggestions for Improved Practice
1. Expectancy – Find out students’ prior knowledge and skills before starting the activity. If a teacher starts with incorrect assumptions about students’ skills, they may create a task that is overly difficult for the students, leading to decreased levels of success and motivation. Create opportunities for students to build success and self-efficacy. Scaffold students’ processes through realistic feedback.
2. Attainment Value – Remind them how the task is related to their identity. For example, this assignment/class project will help you become a teacher (any career) that you want in the future.
3. Intrinsic Value – Give students some choices in how they can complete class assignments. Include activities you know students enjoy.
4. Utility Value – Increase students’ perceptions of task value by ensuring that the task has a ‘real world’ feel with a connection to things outside of class.
5. Cost – Explain with examples how we may have to go through challenges in life like giving up friends or spending time with them in order to gain certain things in life.
https://education.okstate.edu/site-files/documents/motivation-classrooms/motivation-minute-expectancy-value-theory. Retrieved April 27, 2023
Explore with your African American students, various ways to respond when they receive racist or biased pushback as they pursue their academic goals and careers. Share true-life examples of how others successfully persevered when faced with racist challenges. Be candid, yet encouraging.
