Enhancing students’ motivation in learning mathematics: The mediating effects of perceived value

National education policies have focused on improving U.S. student performance in areas related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Among all the STEM subjects, mathematics plays an important role of success in learning other STEM subjects. Therefore, researchers have paid increasingly attentions to examining the factors that motivate students to engage and improve learnings in mathematics. Drawing on the expectancy-value theory, this study examines the effect of cognitive activation on student motivational behaviors and their actual learning performances. In particular, this study investigates the mediating effect of student perceived value on the relationship between cognitive activation and their motivational behaviors. The data of this study were drawn from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the group of 2012 with a sample of 1,017 high school students from the United State. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the measurement model fitness. Structure Equational Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the effect of cognitive activation on student motivational behaviors (effort and choice), and the mediating role of student perceived value (intrinsic value, utility value, and psychological cost) on the relationship between cognitive activation and motivational behaviors. Results from this study indicate cognitive activation positively affects student choice and effort in mathematics learning. In addition, the relationship between cognitive activation and choice is fully mediated by student perceived value. The relationship between cognitive activation and effort is partially mediated by student perceived value. Both student choice and effort can enhance their mathematics learning performances. Theoretical implications and future research directions are discussed.