In the eyes of the beholder: How students and teachers judge students’ motivation in mathematics

Examined the nature and accuracy of 4th-6th grade teachers' judgments about students' mathematics motivation. Teachers and students rated student motivation four times during the school year. Teachers' assessments of students' beliefs corresponded only modestly to students' self-assessments. Teachers' ratings were more stable across time and across mathematics topics and were less differentiated across motivation dimensions than were students' ratings.