How fascination for biology is associated with students’ learning in a biodiversity citizen science project

One way of engaging the public in major environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss, is citizen science. Up to now, the potential of implementing citizen science into formal learning environments has remained largely unconsidered. We engaged 276 German 10^th graders in a collaborative citizen science project on DNA barcoding as part of a biodiversity education module. Our research focused on monitoring the relation between fascination for biology and students’ cognitive performance. Following a pre-post-retention design, we measured content knowledge and fascination one week before, one week after, and six weeks after participation in the project. Our findings indicate fascination to be a variable positively related to science learning: in relation to their pre-knowledge scores, all students showed short-term knowledge gain. In the long-term, however, students with high fascination scores retained more knowledge than students with intermediate or low fascination scores.     

The psychological characteristics of experiences that influence science motivation and content knowledge

ABSTRACT

While motivational changes towards science are common during adolescence, our work asks which perceived classroom experiences are most strongly related to these changes. Additionally, we examine which experiences are most strongly associated with learning classroom content. In particular, using self-reports from a sample of approximately 3000 middle school students, this study investigates the influence of perceived science classroom experiences, namely student engagement and perceived success, on motivational change (fascination, values, competency belief) and content knowledge. Controlling for demographic information, school effects, and initial levels of motivation and content knowledge, we find that dimensions of engagement (affect, behavioural/cognitive) and perceived success are differentially associated with changes in particular motivational constructs and learning. Affective engagement is positively associated with motivational outcomes and negatively associated with learning outcomes, behavioural–cognitive engagement is associated only with learning, and perceived success is related only to motivational outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Arts engagement outside of school: Links with Year 10 to 12 students’ intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy in responding to art

This study draws on student engagement factors to examine the relationship between students’ non-school-based arts experiences on their intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy to participate in visual arts responding tasks. Visual arts responding in the curriculum includes learning about artists and artworks, decoding art and making critical judgements, and is important in building twenty-first century learning skills such as critical thinking and communication. A total of 266 Year 10 to 12 students from 18 schools in Western Australia (WA) participated in the quantitative research, which explored outside-school arts engagement as well as cognitive and psychological engagement factors in their current year of secondary schooling. The findings showed that while being an art consumer appears to impact on intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, producing art as a hobby outside of school does not appear to do so. The research raised questions about links between practice and theory, and how to promote students’ engagement in responding.     

Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning activities

While a consensus has emerged to characterize student engagement during learning activities as a three-component construct featuring behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects, we propose adding agentic engagement as an important new aspect, which we define as students’ constructive contribution into the flow of the instruction they receive. High school students (237 females, 128 males) from Taiwan completed surveys of their classroom motivation and the four hypothesized aspects of engagement while grades were obtained at the end of the semester. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that agentic engagement was both a distinct and an important construct, one that was associated with students’ constructive motivation, related to each of the other three aspects of engagement, and predicted independent variance in achievement. The discussion highlights the important, though currently neglected, ways that students contribute constructively into the flow of the instruction they receive, as by personalizing it and by enhancing both the lesson and the conditions under which they learn.     

Motivating young language learners: A longitudinal model of self-determined motivation in elementary school foreign language classes

Promoting intrinsic motivation is often a central concern in teaching foreign languages to elementary school children. Self-determination theory posits that intrinsic motivation develops through the interaction of the person and the environment. The present study investigated how elementary school students’ motivation develops over the course of a school year in Japanese public schools. Five-hundred and fifteen Japanese elementary school children were surveyed over the course of one school year. Self-reported motivation, perceptions of teacher support, need satisfaction, and engagement were measured at different times. External raters observed students’ engagement, while classroom teachers assessed the quality of students’ motivation and learning. Structural equation modeling results indicated a positive, dynamic relationship between motivation, perceptions of the learning environment, and engagement. External raters’ assessments showed significant positive correlations with students’ self-reported engagement. Findings indicate how the instruction offered in these Japanese elementary schools supported students’ foreign language learning motivation.     

Students’ course experience and engagement: an attempt to bridge two lines of research on the quality of undergraduate education

This study attempts to bridge two current lines of research on the quality of undergraduate education, i.e. students’ course experiences and engagement. Defining student engagement from a psychological perspective, this study explores the relationships between students’ course experiences and their motivation and engagement with a sample of 882 Chinese undergraduates who participated in a questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation modelling indicate that, although clear goals and standards, generic skills and appropriate workload positively relate to student engagement, appropriate assessment has a dual effect, while good teaching and emphasis on independence have undesirable, negative effects on students’ motivation and engagement. These findings reveal the potential of combining the two lines of research, and reflect some characteristics of teaching and learning in Chinese higher education institutions. The results have implications for enhancing the quality of undergraduate education in China.     

Student engagement in neo-liberal times: what is missing?

Quality teaching is increasingly prioritized in higher education. One reason is that government funding requires students to succeed in their studies and be ready for employment. In response, educators throughout the Western world have generated large quantities of evidence-based, practical, often uncritical research about what works to improve teaching, learning and student success. Much of this research carries the label student engagement. But student engagement is a complex construct used to identify what students do, think and feel when learning and how teachers can improve that doing, thinking and feeling in instructional settings. Despite its extensive coverage of learning and teaching, the paper asks whether something is missing from student engagement. It recognizes the complexity of the engagement construct and examines its key ideas but identifies three missing elements: critique; learning agency/democracy; as well as purposes, knowledge and values that transcend powerful political discourses in neo-liberal times.     

Situational interest,cognitive engagement,and achievement in physical education

Students’ learning has been the center of schooling. This study examined the contribution of situational interest motivation and cognitive engagement in workbooks to student achievement in learning health-related fitness knowledge. Situational interest, performance on solving workbook problems, and knowledge gain in cardio-respiratory fitness and benefits were measured in 670 third-grade students from 13 randomly selected urban elementary schools. Structural equation modeling and regression curve estimation analyses revealed that situational interest contributed little to workbook performance and knowledge gain. Performance on solving workbook problems contributed significantly to knowledge gain. The results also show that skipping workbook tasks had stronger negative impact on knowledge gain than performing the tasks incorrectly, suggesting the importance of engaging students in the learning process by attempting the workbook tasks. The findings reinforced the value of using workbooks to facilitate cognitive knowledge learning in physical education, but raised questions about the direct function of situational interest on engaging students in cognitive learning.     

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION,LEARNING GOALS,ENGAGEMENT, AND ACHIEVEMENT IN A DIVERSE HIGH SCHOOL

Using structural equation models, with gender, parent education, and prior grade point average (GPA) as control variables, we examined the relationships among intrinsic motivation to learn, learning goals, behavioral engagement at school, and academic performance (measured by GPA) in 1,575 students in an ethnically and racially diverse high school. Intrinsic motivation to learn was indirectly and positively related to academic performance via classroom engagement. Seventy‐five percent of the variance in engagement and 33% of the variance in GPA were explained by variables in the study. Results were generally replicated when the model was tested separately with the 336 African American students and the 311 Latin@ students. The significant indirect effect of intrinsic motivation to learn on GPA via engagement, as well as the positive direct association between learning goals and academic performance, suggest that students will benefit from schools fostering intrinsic motivation to learn and learning goals.     

Intrinsic motivation,perceived competence and classroom engagement as longitudinal predictors of adolescent reading achievement

This study investigated the effects of intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, classroom engagement and extrinsic motivation on reading development among youth. Using a nationally representative sample of students in the US, the researchers followed students longitudinally from fifth to eighth grade. Reading achievement was measured using composite tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension and sight-word identification. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the effect of students’ perceived intrinsic motivation and competence, as well as teacher rated classroom engagement in the 5th grade, on reading achievement in the 8th grade. Important control variables were utilised such as gender, family SES, race/ethnicity and prior reading achievement. The results showed that intrinsic motivation to read, perceived competence and engagement in 5th grade significantly predict reading achievement in 8th grade. The importance students placed upon grades also predicted reading development. Implications for promoting intrinsic motivation and strong engagement in schools are discussed.     

Engaging Minds in the Common Core: Integrating Standards for Student Engagement

With the implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) many teachers continue to search for ways to engage students in the learning process while meeting the rigorous demands of the standards. Researchers suggest that by providing opportunities for higher order thinking, student choice, and creative ways to showcase knowledge, students will find engagement and motivation in the classroom. Many teachers of adolescent students struggle with ways to integrate these approaches while meeting the standards. The purpose of this article is to provide examples of engaging literacy strategies that focus on the Common Core State Standards for middle and high school students.     

On the role of discipline-related self-concept in deep and surface approaches to learning among university students

The current research examined the role that students’ discipline-related self-concepts may play in their deep and surface approaches to learning, their overall learning outcomes, and continued engagement in the discipline itself. Using a cross-lagged panel design of first-year university psychology students, a causal path was observed in which students’ Semester 1 deep approach to learning positively predicted their Semester 2 psychology-student social identification; this relationship was mediated by students’ actual Semester 1 learning. Moreover, relatively high levels of Semester 2 psychology-student social identification led to a desire for further engagement in the discipline through an enhanced intent to continue their psychology studies. In contrast, discipline-related self-concept was not observed to act as a precursor to learning approaches. Overall, the current data provide clear evidence not only for the validity of the deep learning approach construct, but for the theoretical claims associating a deep learning approach with an impact on self-concept, and the educational value of encouraging a deep learning approach both for short-term academic performance and for continuing motivation to engage in the discipline.     

Assessing and Predicting College Students’ Use of Strategies for the Self-Regulation of Motivation

College students (N = 215) completed a self-report instrument designed to assess different regulation of motivation strategies as well as aspects of their motivational beliefs, use of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, and procrastination. The study serves to extend the research on the self-regulation of motivation through three related findings. One, results indicate that the instrument evaluated in the study provides a reliable and valid method for assessing six motivational regulation strategies in a college population. Two, analyses revealed differences in the extent that students reported using the regulation of motivation strategies, while also showing them to be related to other aspects of self-regulated learning in a theoretically consistent way. Last, findings from a series of multiple regressions indicate that students’ engagement in motivational regulation is a function of their existing motivational beliefs and attitudes.     

Adolescent expectancy-value motivation and learning: A disconnected case in physical education

This study reports adolescent expectancy-value motivation, and its relation to fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning in physical education. Students (N = 854) from 12 middle schools provided data on expectancy-value motivation, fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning. Results from dependent t-test and MANOVA indicated that 8th grade students rated task values significantly lower than 6th grade while their expectancy beliefs did not significantly differ. Students gained sizable fitness knowledge (d = 0.58, p < 0.05) and badminton skill (d = 1.40, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses revealed that expectancy-value motivation did not significantly predict learning in fitness knowledge or psychomotor skills. These findings suggest that expectancy-value motivation might predict engagement and performance, but not necessarily learning achievement in physical education.     

Just-in-Time Teaching Exercises to Engage Students in an Introductory-Level Dinosaur Course

The Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) technique allows students to be engaged in course material outside of the classroom by answering web-based questions. The responses are summarized and presented to students in class with a follow-up active learning exercise. College students enrolled in an introductory-level general education geoscience course were surveyed over a two-semester period on their engagement level during lecture and perceived learning of course content. Data show that students are able to reflect on their prior knowledge and construct new knowledge with weekly graded JiTT exercises. Despite increasing and competing pressures outside of the classroom, students reported increased learning and engagement in a course with required weekly assignments.     

Students' evaluation of the use of online summative assessment on an undergraduate financial accounting module

According to the Quality Assurance Agency, 'Assessment describes any processes that appraise an individual's knowledge, understanding, abilities or skills', and is inextricably linked to a course or programme's intended learning outcomes. It also has a fundamental effect on students' learning where it serves a variety of purposes including evaluation, feedback and motivation. Assessment also provides a performance indicator for both students and staff. E-assessment offers opportunities for creating innovative assessment practices that help engage students and increase their motivation for learning. The paper reports the findings of a qualitative study undertaken in the academic years 2006–07 and 2007–08 where a series of online summative assessments were introduced into a 1st-year financial accounting course. Feedback from students obtained from an evaluative survey and focus group interviews indicates that assessment played a significant role in the teaching/learning process. That is, students perceived a beneficial impact on learning, motivation and engagement.     

Motivation matters? The relationship among different types of learning motivation,engagement behaviors and learning outcomes of undergraduate students in Taiwan

The purpose of this study is to understand predictors of different learning outcomes among various student background characteristics, types of learning motivation and engagement behaviors. 178 junior students were surveyed at a 4-year research university in Taiwan. The scales of motivation, engagement and perceived learning outcomes were adapted from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and the National Survey of Student Engagement College Student Report. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis was used in data analysis. Findings confirm that different student background characteristics and learning motivation can predict different learning outcomes. However, student engagement behaviors cannot significantly predict different types of learning outcomes when student background and learning motivation variables are included. This study also finds that student’s majors play an important role in explaining learning outcomes. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of learning motivation and suggest that instructors can provide students with more successful learning experiences to ensure more confidence in their learning abilities.     

大学生学习投入与知识共享的现状及其关系研究

为了解当代大学生学习投入与知识共享之间的关系,对328名大学生进行学习投入量表与知识共享量表的实证调研.研究结果表明：大学生学习投入水平与知识共享水平总体一般,学习投入与知识共享之间呈显著正相关,大学生获取知识是学习投入的有效预测变量.