Abstract
This study examined the relationships between motivation, self-efficacy, and academic tracking in an elementary school setting. There is an ongoing debate over the implications of academic tracking as an equitable practice, and limited existing research regarding the outcomes of academic tracking for students before they reach middle or high school grades. This study focused on a survey measuring the motivation and self-efficacy of third grade students around their reading practices. Participants were third-grade students from two distinct academic tracks, the Advanced track and the Core track, within one elementary school in Northern California. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the differences these students experience regarding their reading motivation and self-efficacy. These differences were then compared to the measured academic growth these students achieved over the course of their second-grade school year. The study found that students in the Advanced track had stronger senses of both motivation and self-efficacy than students in the Core track. Every student who participated had stronger senses of self-efficacy than motivation regarding their reading practices. Additionally, this study found that students who had higher motivation and self-efficacy tended to demonstrate lower levels of growth over the course of their second-grade school year. Students in the Core track demonstrated more growth overall than students in the Advanced track, though Advanced students maintained higher overall scores throughout the school year. This researcher recognizes the need for future research on the equitable implementation of tracking in early grades, especially the outcomes for students from marginalized communities.