Motivational factors that influence students' participation in outdoor activities

The aim of this research was to study five groups (18 to 26 years old) in order to identify the main motivational factors that influence participation in outdoor activities. A triangulation method, including open-end questionnaires, unstructured conversation and participant observation was employed for investigation.

Five main categories of motivational themes appeared to trigger both female (n=81) and male (n=27) Romanian students participation in outdoor activities. These include the opportunity to enjoy and have fun; to meet new friends and interact; to escape from daily routine and family; to enjoy natures beauty and to explore unknown territories. Female and male students attached a slightly different importance to each of the above motives. It was also found that these motives determine, to an extent, the decision for initial engagement in activities but when it comes to systematic participation the particular situational factors are also very important.     

Motivational predictors of young adolescents' participation in an outdoor adventure course: A self-determination theory approach

Abstract

Outdoor education is emerging as a compulsory component of the school curriculum in Singapore. As more and more young people are involved in outdoor education programmes, the motivational factors that influence students' participation in outdoor activities is an important area of study. The purpose of this study was to use the self-determination theory framework to examine post course satisfaction level among young adolescents. A total of 314 secondary school students aged from 12 to 16 years took part in the survey. Results showed that external regulation negatively predicted self-reported satisfaction whereas intrinsic motivation positively predicted participants' satisfaction levels of the course. It is highlighted that young adolescents should not be coerced into outdoor education programmes. They should be provided with a meaningful rationale for participation, given some autonomy for decision-making and to have a positive and enjoyable experience during the programme.     

‘Class-bucks’: a motivational tool to encourage active student participation during lectures

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the influence of an extrinsic motivational tool, ‘class-bucks’, on the possibility of improving first year student-teachers’ participation in active learning at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. Research participants (n=289) were divided into four classes and engaged in this study during the second and third semester of the course. During the second semester, the students in Class 1 and Class 2 were awarded with ‘class-bucks’ for active participation in lectures, while Classes 3 and 4 were not awarded. Then, during the third semester, the students in Classes 3 and 4 were awarded, while those in Classes 1 and 2 were not. Semester test results and the number of instances of active participation during lectures were recorded and compared to formulate findings and recommendations. The results presented in this article will assist lecturers in valuing an extrinsic motivational tool, ‘class-bucks’, which can be used to encourage active student participation during lectures, thus contributing to the expansion of quality education and improving the student's ability to retain learning content for longer.     

Can teachers motivate students to learn?

Research on motivation has mainly concentrated on the role of goal orientation and self‐evaluation in conducting learning activities. In this paper, we examine the relative importance of teachers’ teaching and their efficacy beliefs to explain variation in student motivation. Questionnaires were used to measure the well‐being, academic self‐efficacy, mastery goal orientation, performance avoidance, intrinsic motivation and school investment of students (n = 3462) and the teaching practices and teachers’ sense of self‐efficacy (n = 194) in primary schools. Results of the multi‐level analyses show that connection to the students’ world and cooperative learning methods had a positive effect on students’ motivation, while process‐oriented instruction by the teacher had a negative effect on motivational behaviour and motivational factors of students. Finally, the results lend credence to the argument that teachers’ sense of self‐efficacy has an impact on both teachers’ teaching and students’ motivation to learn.     

Motivational predictors of young adolescents' participation in an outdoor adventure course: A self-determination theory approach

Outdoor education is emerging as a compulsory component of the school curriculum in Singapore. As more and more young people are involved in outdoor education programmes, the motivational factors that influence students' participation in outdoor activities is an important area of study. The purpose of this study was to use the self-determination theory framework to examine post course satisfaction level among young adolescents. A total of 314 secondary school students aged from 12 to 16 years took part in the survey. Results showed that external regulation negatively predicted self-reported satisfaction whereas intrinsic motivation positively predicted participants' satisfaction levels of the course. It is highlighted that young adolescents should not be coerced into outdoor education programmes. They should be provided with a meaningful rationale for participation, given some autonomy for decision-making and to have a positive and enjoyable experience during the programme.     

Cross-Validation of a Model of Intrinsic Motivation With Students Enrolled in High School Elective Courses

The purpose of this study was to cross-validate a model of relationships among social-contextual factors, individual differences, and intrinsic motivation in adolescent students enrolled in required courses (E. Ferrer-Caja & M. R. Weiss, 2000) with an independent sample of students taking elective courses. Female and male high school students (N = 219) completed measures of motivational climate, teaching style, perceived competence, self-determination, goal orientation, and intrinsic motivation. Motivated behavior was assessed by teachers who rated the students on effort and persistence in class activities. First, the authors used structural equation modeling to examine model invariance between the original and the new samples, which yielded a lack of equivalence. Next, the authors examined several alternative theory-based models using the elective sample. The results indicated that the data were best represented by a model that separated social-contextual factors, individual factors, intrinsic motivation, and motivated behaviors. The strongest predictors of intrinsic motivation were task-goal orientation and perceived competence. These results are discussed from both theoretical and methodological perspectives.     

江苏重点高校学生体育文化生活现状的调查

采用问卷调查法就江苏重点高校大学生对体育的认识与态度、体育活动的频度及时间、活动形式、项目的选择、体育消费以及体育动机进行了调查分析。结果显示:高校大学生对体育的参与意识较强,但是在锻炼时间和频度上存在不足;活动项目主要以球类为主,舞蹈、健身操在女生中占有一定比例;场地器材设施不足、学业重、没有时间和无人组织指导等客观原因是影响高校大学生参加体育活动锻炼的主要因素。     

Teachers’ motives for learning in networks: costs,rewards and community interest

Background: This paper discusses teachers’ perspectives on learning networks and their motives for participating in these networks. Although it is widely held that teachers’ learning may be developed through learning networks, not all teachers participate in such networks.

Purpose: The theme of reciprocity, central to studies in the area of learning in networks, is often approached from a rational exchange perspective. This study attempts to extend this approach with reference to the concept of symbolic interactionism. The study was guided by the following research question: What is the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of learning networks and their motives for participation or non-participation in these networks?

Design and methods: In order to address this research question, semi-structured interviews among 25 teachers in secondary education in the Netherlands were carried out. The semi-structured interviews consisted of three parts: background information, perspectives on learning networks and personal experiences with those networks. Data were analysed qualitatively and analyses consisted of within-case analysis, and cross-case analysis of interview fragments. Three themes were considered: (1) perspectives on learning networks, (2) motives for participation perceived as rational exchange, (3) motives for participation perceived as related to social order.

Findings: The findings are presented around these three themes. Each theme is discussed in relation to relevant aspects from the literature. Findings indicated that teachers perceived learning networks to be organised both within-school and outside school, and mostly focused around specific content knowledge. Reasons for participation or non-participation were related to rational costs and rewards (such as time, technology, self-efficacy); in symbolic motives (such as joy, sharing and mutual understanding), and also in a sense of meaning that resulted from networking activities.

Conclusions: We conclude that, in addition to social exchange motives, the data suggest that symbolic aspects of communication and interaction play an important role in considerations for participation in learning networks. This may be described in terms of four ‘types’ of networking teachers: the Community focused networking teacher, the Locally focused networking teacher, the Not-yet-networking teacher, and the Non-networking teacher. It is hoped that these exploratory findings could be helpful in supporting the development of learning networks for all teachers.     

Coaching college students in the development of positive learning dispositions: A randomized control trial embedded mixed-methods study

Enhancing college students' learning habits, attitudes, and capacities have been an important research topic in educational psychology. In this study, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a coaching program that integrated mindful agency coaching and motivational interviewing for the development of positive learning dispositions in college students. A randomized control trial embedded mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase with two experimental groups showed that the intervention group (n = 24) showed significant improvement in mindful agency, self-efficacy, learning motivation, and emotional intelligence after the coaching, compared with the control group (n = 30). The qualitative phase with students in the intervention group (n = 15) revealed five themes: Task orientation, motivational management, openness and acceptance, self-awareness and self-regulation, and supporting factors for coaching. Integrated findings demonstrated whether and how coaching could be a promising approach to enhancing college students' various positive dispositions that are essential for them to be mindful, resilient, and self-directed learners.     

Motivation and demotivation of university teachers

Teachers make up one of the lowest income groups in Turkey. Research tells us that with their large class sizes, poor structural and physical characteristics of the classes, and the inadequate professional conditions offered to teachers, education at the university level is not up to modern standards. The aim of the study reported in this paper is to examine sources of motivation and demotivation among teachers at a public university in Istanbul. Three hundred teachers (M = 112, F = 188) aged between 33 and 65, were asked two open‐ended questions regarding their motivational and demotivational tendencies towards their profession. Motivating aspects/factors of teaching have been compressed and categorised under four main units: Students, Career, Social Status and Ideals. Demotivating aspects/factors have been compressed and categorised under five different headings: Students, Economics, Structural and Physical Characteristics, Research and Working Conditions. Results show that students are the main source of motivation and demotivation for university teachers. Besides students, while career is a secondary motivational factor, economics and research are secondary demotivating factors.     

Alcohol Use and Drinking Motives Among Sanctioned and Nonsanctioned Students

This study examined differences in the relationship of drinking motives to drinking behavior among sanctioned and nonsanctioned 1st‐year students (N = 298). Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that for both sanctioned and nonsanctioned students, alcohol use was predicted by social and enhancement motives, and alcohol‐related consequences were predicted by social, enhancement, and coping motives. High levels of conformity motives predicted alcohol use and alcohol‐related consequences for sanctioned students only. Counseling implications are discussed.     

A motivational account of the undergraduate experience in science: brief measures of students’ self-system appraisals,engagement in coursework,and identity as a scientist

ABSTRACT

As part of long-standing efforts to promote undergraduates’ success in science, researchers have investigated the instructional strategies and motivational factors that promote student learning and persistence in science coursework and majors. This study aimed to create a set of brief measures that educators and researchers can use as tools to examine the undergraduate motivational experience in science classes. To identify key motivational processes, we drew on self-determination theory (SDT), which holds that students have fundamental needs – to feel competent, related, and autonomous – that fuel their intrinsic motivation. When educational experiences meet these needs, students engage more energetically and learn more, cumulatively contributing to a positive identity as a scientist. Based on information provided by 1013 students from 8 classes in biology, chemistry, and physics, we constructed conceptually focused and psychometrically sound survey measures of three sets of motivational factors: (1) students’ appraisals of their own competence, autonomy, and relatedness; (2) the quality of students’ behavioural and emotional engagement in academic work; and (3) students’ emerging identities as scientists, including their science identity, purpose in science, and science career plans. Using an iterative confirmatory process, we tested short item sets for unidimensionality and internal consistency, and then cross-validated them. Tests of measurement invariance showed that scales were generally comparable across disciplines. Most importantly, scales and final course grades showed correlations consistent with predictions from SDT. These measures may provide a window on the student motivational experience for educators, researchers, and interventionists who aim to improve the quality of undergraduate science teaching and learning.     

Student attitudes that predict participation in peer assessment

Peer assessment has been widely applied to actively engage students in learning to write. However, sometimes students resist peer assessment. This study explores reviewers’ attitudes and other underlying factors that influence students’ participation in online peer assessment. Participants were 234 Chinese undergraduates from two different academic backgrounds: engineering majors (n = 168) and English majors (n = 66). Gender, academic background and prior experience with peer assessment were all related to participation levels. Moreover, factor analyses revealed three attitudinal factors: (1) positive attitude (a general endorsement of the benefits of peer assessment), (2) interpersonal negative (concerns about the negative effects on interpersonal relationships), and (3) procedural negative (doubts about the procedural rationality of peer assessment). Among the attitudinal factors, procedural negative was negatively associated with participation, as expected. Interestingly, interpersonal negative was associated with greater participation, and positive attitude was associated with lower participation, in part because students worked hard on each review rather than doing many reviews superficially. Implications for instruction are discussed.     

Preferences among Alternative Test Outcomes

To develop a procedure for determining the dominance of various social motives operative in classroom settings and to provide a didactic method for illustrating social motives, college students were requested to rank their preferences among alternative distributions of own and others’ scores on a test covering the content of a course. It was found that outcomes that maximized own scores were preferred by a majority of students, but only in that instance where their highest score was slightly better than that obtained by their classmates. Less than a majority of students preferred the same score which maximized their own absolute outcome when it was slightly lower than their classmates’ scores. Evidence was found in the preference data for the presence of the social motivational orientations of individualism (own gain maximization), competition (relative gain maximization), cooperation (joint gain maximization), and equity (equality maximization). The verbal rationales provided by students for their preferences were strongly consistent with the motivational properties of preferred own and other outcomes.     

Students’ awareness of science teachers’ leadership,attitudes toward science,and positive thinking

There appears to be a complex network of cognitive and affective factors that influence students’ decisions to study science and motivate their choices to engage in science-oriented careers. This study explored 330 Taiwanese senior high school students’ awareness of their science teacher’s learning leadership and how it relates to the students’ attitudes toward science and positive thinking. Initial results revealed that the optimism of positive thinking is highly and positively correlated with the future participation in science and learning science in school attitudes toward science and self-concept in science. Moreover, structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated that the subscale of teachers’ leadership with idealised influence was the most predictive of students’ attitudes toward science (β = .37), and the leadership with laissez-faire was predictive of students’ positive thinking (β = .21). In addition, the interview results were consistent with the quantitative findings. The correlation and SEM results indicate some of the associations and potential relationships amongst the motivational and affective factors studied and students’ attitudes toward and intentions to study science, which will increase their likelihood of future involvement in science careers.     

Exploring teachers’ perceptions on physical activity engagement for children and young people with intellectual disabilities

Aim: To explore teacher’s perceptions of barriers and facilitators to physical activity (PA), including enabling, reinforcing and predisposing factors amongst children and young people (CYP) with intellectual disabilities (ID). Method and procedures: The Youth Physical Activity Promotion (YPAP) Model was used to inform semi-structured focus groups to explore PA of CYP with ID. Participants were 23 (9 male) teachers and teaching assistants, from three special educational needs (SEN) schools (1?=?Primary, 2?=?Secondary) within North West England. Three focus groups were held with between six and eight participants, audio and video recorded and data transcribed. Data were inductively and deductively analysed using Nvivo and represented through pen profiles. Results: Three pen profiles were developed and structured around YPAP Model to display themes within the data. Enabling factors (facilities (n?=?23) and activity type (n?=?39)); reinforcing factors (influences of peers (n?=?23), family (n?=?10) and teachers (n?=?19) to PA engagement); and predisposing factors (healthy lifestyle (n?=?15), enjoyment of PA (n?=?14), adaptations for PA (n?=?10), structured play (n?=?10), effects of disability on PA (n?=?8) and the CYPs attitudes towards PA (n?=?8)). Conclusion: CYP with ID enjoy engaging in PA, particularly activities that are of a fun and unstructured nature which allow for progression of skills and promote independence. Participants recognised that they, as teachers, had an influence on the CYP’s PA engagement, however suggested that parents have the most influential role. Similar to previous research, participants noted that CYP with ID had a lack of understanding as regards the importance of PA engagement and its benefits to health. It is suggested a strong home–school link for CYP within SEN schools could prove to be a key facilitator for active and healthy lifestyles education and choices.     

Outdoor activity among older adults: Exploring the role of informational Internet use

ABSTRACT

The Internet has the potential to enable older adults to live a socially active and self-determined life. An important facet of active aging is participation in outdoor activity. Previous research has shown that older Internet users participated more frequently in outdoor activities. However, understanding of how Internet use can influence the behavior of going outdoors is still limited. To bridge this gap, the goal of this study was to examine whether informational Internet use specific to opportunities and offerings in the city facilitates participation in outdoor activity. Primary survey data from individuals aged 65+ living in a medium-sized city in Europe (N = 1,117) was analyzed. The results show that Internet as an information source predicted community activity for participants living in urban neighborhoods but not in a rural neighborhood. Further, informational Internet use predicted cultural activity for residents living in all three neighborhoods. The results thus emphasize the positive effect of informational Internet use on behavior through providing older adults with useful information about opportunities and offerings available in their neighborhood. Taken together, the findings provide a rationale for the development of digital neighborhood platforms and interventions targeted at older adults’ digital skills.     

The importance of motivation as a predictor of school achievement

The present study examined to which extent different motivational concepts contribute to the prediction of school achievement among adolescent students independently from intelligence. A sample of 342 11th and 12th graders (age M = 16.94; SD = .71) was investigated. Students gave self-reports on domain-specific values, ability self-perceptions, goals, and achievement motives. Hierarchical regression and relative weights analyses were performed with grades in math and German as dependent variables and intelligence as well as motivational measures as independent variables. Beyond intelligence, different motivational constructs incrementally contributed to the prediction of school achievement. Domain-specific ability self-perceptions and values showed the highest increments whereas achievement motives and goal orientations explained less additional variance. Even when prior achievement was controlled, some motivational concepts still proved to contribute to the prediction of subsequent performance. In the light of these findings, we discuss the importance of motivation in educational contexts.     

Neuroanatomy Learning: Augmented Reality vs. Cross-Sections

Neuroanatomy education is a challenging field which could benefit from modern innovations, such as augmented reality (AR) applications. This study investigates the differences on test scores, cognitive load, and motivation after neuroanatomy learning using AR applications or using cross-sections of the brain. Prior to two practical assignments, a pretest (extended matching questions, double-choice questions and a test on cross-sectional anatomy) and a mental rotation test (MRT) were completed. Sex and MRT scores were used to stratify students over the two groups. The two practical assignments were designed to study (1) general brain anatomy and (2) subcortical structures. Subsequently, participants completed a posttest similar to the pretest and a motivational questionnaire. Finally, a focus group interview was conducted to appraise participants’ perceptions. Medical and biomedical students (n = 31); 19 males (61.3%) and 12 females (38.7%), mean age 19.2 ± 1.7 years participated in this experiment. Students who worked with cross-sections (n = 16) showed significantly more improvement on test scores than students who worked with GreyMapp-AR (P = 0.035) (n = 15). Further analysis showed that this difference was primarily caused by significant improvement on the cross-sectional questions. Students in the cross-section group, moreover, experienced a significantly higher germane (P = 0.009) and extraneous cognitive load (P = 0.016) than students in the GreyMapp-AR group. No significant differences were found in motivational scores. To conclude, this study suggests that AR applications can play a role in future anatomy education as an add-on educational tool, especially in learning three-dimensional relations of anatomical structures.