Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation
Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics
Isaac Davor 1 * , Francis Ohene Boateng 1, Stephen Daniels Sarfo 1, Bluemeloph Adoma Kutin 1
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1 Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana
* Corresponding Author
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Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 2027 - Volume 2 Issue 2, Article No: e44674
https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674

Article Type: Research Article

Published Online: 27 Sep 2026

Views: 197 | Downloads: 354

ABSTRACT
This study investigates the mediating role of competence motivation in the relationship between exposure to the history of mathematical fallibility and students’ interest in mathematics. A cross-sectional survey design was employed using a quantitative approach. The sample comprised 285 undergraduate students of mathematics education in Ghana. Structural equation modeling and bias-corrected percentile bootstrapping were employed, and the analysis was conducted in AMOS (version 23). The results indicate that historical fallibility has a positive and significant effect on students’ competence, motivation, and interest in mathematics. Competence motivation partially mediated the relationship between the variables. The current study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by filling a gap in the literature. Previous studies have established the relationship between history and interest, but this study isolated fallibility as a motivational variable. The results also indicate that educators should draw on historical accounts of struggles to validate students' errors and foster interest. The findings suggest that integrating narratives of mathematical struggle and historical fallibility into mathematics instruction may contribute to more sustainable forms of mathematics education by promoting long-term student motivation, emotional resilience, and continued engagement with mathematics. The study further implies that humanizing mathematics through historical perspectives can support inclusive and psychologically supportive learning environments within digitally transforming higher education systems.
KEYWORDS
competence motivation history of mathematical fallibility mathematical interest
In-text citation: (Davor et al., 2027)
Reference: Davor, I., Ohene Boateng, F., Sarfo, S. D., & Kutin, B. A. (2027). Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 2(2), e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Davor I, Ohene Boateng F, Sarfo SD, Kutin BA. Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation. 2027;2(2), e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Davor I, Ohene Boateng F, Sarfo SD, Kutin BA. Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation. 2027;2(2):e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
In-text citation: (Davor et al., 2027)
Reference: Davor, Isaac, Francis Ohene Boateng, Stephen Daniels Sarfo, and Bluemeloph Adoma Kutin. "Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics". Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation 2027 2 no. 2 (2027): e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
In-text citation: (Davor et al., 2027)
Reference: Davor, I., Ohene Boateng, F., Sarfo, S. D., and Kutin, B. A. (2027). Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics. Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, 2(2), e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
In-text citation: (Davor et al., 2027)
Reference: Davor, Isaac et al. "Modeling the role of competence motivation in linking historical mathematical fallibility and student interest in mathematics". Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation, vol. 2, no. 2, 2027, e44674. https://doi.org/10.33902/SEDT.202644674
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