Secondary School Students’ Motivation Profiles and Their Relations with Academic Emotions in Mathematics

Abstract The understanding of students’ motivation in mathematics and its relation to emotional aspects is still limited in the discourse on motivational and emotional aspects of school students’ mathematical learning. This study addresses this gap by exploring the relationship between motivation and emotions in mathematics, grounded in the Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) and Control-Value Theory (CVT). Using Latent Profile Analysis with a sample of 1,999 Grade 7–9 students in Jiangsu, China (ages 13–15), we identified three motivational profiles: Low (11.2%), Medium (55.8%), and High (33.0%) motivation. Findings showed that expectancy, intrinsic value, and extrinsic value were interrelated, with significant differences in academic emotions across profiles. Students in the high motivational profile reported higher levels of curiosity and positive emotions such as enjoyment, and lower levels of negative emotions such as anxiety. Background factors (home book ownership and gender) were significantly linked to motivation profile membership. By contrast, no significant differences in motivational profile membership were found between algebra and geometry, suggesting comparable motivational patterns across mathematical content domains. These results highlight the need for supportive learning environments and targeted interventions to enhance motivation and emotional well-being, potentially reducing achievement gaps in mathematics.