How might the Expectancy Value Model be applied alongside empirical data to broaden understanding of Extended Project Qualification uptake? A brief commentary

This paper provides a commentary on how the expectancy value model (EVM) of motivation could be applied alongside empirical data to broaden understanding of uptake of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The EPQ is an individual project qualification which has the potential to develop students’ academic skills and is associated with academic success. This paper extends previous work, exploring whether the EPQ provides an opportunity for all, by presenting descriptive data focused on the demographics of those student groups who do not take the qualification. Findings indicate that uptake is not equally distributed across demographic profiles and that demographic disparities exist based on gender, ethnicity and school type which extend beyond simple availability of the qualification. The EVM has been used extensively to explain achievement-related choices and outcomes across various subjects, domains, qualifications, countries and demographic groups but not with the EPQ. A case is presented for its potential usefulness as an explanatory theory. The authors argue that further research is needed, beyond the statistics, to capture motivational effects and to explore the potential underlying motivational mechanisms that relate to EPQ uptake and achievement to fully understand its capacity to offer an opportunity for all.