A systematic literature review on university students’ expectancy-value-cost profiles

The situated expectancy-value theory is a prominent theoretical framework for explaining students’ differences in achievement motivation. Applying a person-oriented approach to the study of university students’ expectancy-value-cost motivation offers a promising way of looking at the similarities and differences in the motivational mindsets students display in the demanding educational context of higher education. In this chapter, we review the findings of 11 studies addressing university students’ subjective expectancies, value beliefs, and costs that have applied a person-oriented approach, to explain (1) the kinds of expectancy-value-cost patterns that can be identified among university students, (2) differences between students in the development of expectancy-value-motivation over time, and (3) the kinds of implications the diverse expectancy-value patterns have. Motivational profiles could be categorised into six different types of patterns. The empirical findings showed students’ motivation to be highly stable over time and different motivational mindsets to be significant in terms of academic outcomes. Based on the systematic review, we conclude that a person-oriented approach offers valuable insights into understanding university students’ motivations and the differences, as well as similarities, between higher education students. This systematic review contributes to the theoretical, methodological, and practical debates regarding university students’ expectancies, values, and costs and calls for further empirical research as well as theoretical discussions.