Cluster analysis of attitudes towards feedback and their mathematics achievement: A study of Hong Kong primary students

This study aimed to identify clusters of primary students based on their mathematics achievement, and their perceived usefulness of and expectation of feedback from teachers, and second, to examine profiles of self-regulated learning of the students in these clusters. The sample consisted of 4,570 students at Primary 3 to Primary 5 in Hong Kong. Two-step cluster analysis identified three clusters of students in each year level, namely, low achievers with negative feedback attitudes, high achievers with moderately positive feedback attitudes, and moderate achievers with strong positive feedback attitudes. Further, the clusters of moderate and high achievers shared similar mathematics self-efficacy, but moderate achievers had higher achievement goals and stronger self-regulated learning practices than either high or low achievers. Further, low achievers had the lowest, and moderate achievers the highest, self-regulated learning in mathematics. These results were consistent across year levels. Copyright © 2014 National Academy for Educational Research.