Effects of bicultural competence and racial identity on intrinsic motivation: The mediating role of belonging to Native American tribal colleges

Since the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, Native Americans (NA) have experienced historical trauma (Brave Heart & DeBruyn, 1998). However, sources of socio-cultural resilience continue to exist within this population (Kirmayer et al., 2011). Rather than pathologize NAs, we attempt to better understand the implications of their sources of socio-cultural resilience. We sought to examine how bicultural competence and racial identity affect intrinsic motivation and how these relationships are mediated by a sense of belonging. Self-reported data for this study was gathered from a sample of NAs (N = 219) attending a tribal college. Results suggest that bicultural competence and the racial identity dimensions of racial centrality and private regard are related to intrinsic motivation, and these relationships are mediated by a sense of belonging. These findings suggest that tribal colleges are a likely source of socio-cultural resilience, facilitating success for NAs in an ever-changing world.     

Begin-of-school-year perceived autonomy-support and structure as predictors of end-of-school-year study efforts and procrastination: the mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation

In this prospective study, we recruited a sample of Belgian adolescents (N = 886) to investigate to what extent perceived teachers’ motivating style relates to quality of motivation in the beginning of the school year and, in turn, changes in study effort and procrastination by the end of the school year. After controlling for initial levels of study effort and procrastination and for a shared variance due to classroom membership, we found, through path analysis, perceived autonomy support and structure to relate positively to autonomous motivation, which in turn predicted increased study effort and decreased procrastination at the end of the school year. The findings are discussed from a theoretical and practical standpoint.     

Homework practices and academic achievement: The mediating role of self-efficacy and perceived responsibility beliefs

The present study investigated the role of students’ homework practices in their self-efficacy beliefs regarding their use of specific learning processes (e.g., organizing, memorizing, concentrating, monitoring, etc.), perceptions of academic responsibility, and academic achievement. One hundred and seventy-nine girls from multi-ethnic, mixed socioeconomic status families residing in a major metropolitan area of the United States were studied in a parochial school that emphasized homework in the curriculum with more than 3 h of work assigned daily. Path analyses showed significant paths (a) from homework experiences to the girls’ self-efficacy for learning beliefs and their perception of student responsibility for academic outcomes, and (b) from these two academic beliefs to the girls’ academic grade point average at the end of the school term. The implications of these findings for future research and school policy will be discussed.     

How teacher emotional support motivates students: The mediating roles of perceived peer relatedness,autonomy support,and competence

Multilevel mediation analyses test whether students' mid-year reports of classroom experiences of autonomy, relatedness with peers, and competence mediate associations between early in the school year emotionally-supportive teacher-student interactions (independently observed) and student-reported academic year changes in mastery motivation and behavioral engagement. When teachers were observed to be more emotionally-supportive in the beginning of the school year, adolescents reported academic year increases in their behavioral engagement and mastery motivation. Mid-year student reports indicated that in emotionally-supportive classrooms, adolescents experienced more developmentally-appropriate opportunities to exercise autonomy in their day-to-day activities and had more positive relationships with their peers. Analyses of the indirect effects of teacher emotional support on students' engagement and motivation indicated significant mediating effects of autonomy and peer relatedness experiences, but not competence beliefs, in this sample of 960 students (ages 11–17) in the classrooms of 68 middle and high school teachers in 12 U.S. schools.     

The role of motivation between perceived teacher support and student engagement in science class

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among the middle school students’ perceptions of science teacher support, students’ motivation and students’ engagement in learning science. Student motivation was addressed with task value and academic self-concept while student engagement included aspects of agentic, behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement. In the study, survey method was used and the data were collected though previously validated self-report questionnaires. Valid data were obtained from 1006 middle school students enrolled in one of the nine public schools in Turkey. The path analysis revealed that perceived science teacher’s support positively predicted students’ task value and academic self-concept in science. Furthermore, students who reported high levels of task value and academic self-concept showed higher levels of engagement in science. Accordingly, it seems important for science teachers to listen to the students, behave fairly and help them to solve their problems in order to motivate them for learning science and increase their engagement in science class.     

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.     

Parent-child and teacher-child relationships in Chinese preschoolers: The moderating role of preschool experiences and the mediating role of social competence

Based on two samples of Chinese preschoolers (Study 1: N = 443; Study 2: N = 118) and their parents and teachers, the present research examined the associations between parent-child and teacher-child relationships, and how the associations were moderated by children's preschool experiences and mediated by their social competence. Using a cross-sectional design, Study 1 showed that children's years of preschool experiences moderated the associations between parent-child and teacher-child relationships. Both father-child and mother-child relationships were associated significantly with teacher-child relationships for the first-year preschoolers, and these associations were mediated fully by children's social competence. For the second- or third-year preschoolers, however, neither father-child nor mother-child relationships correlated significantly with teacher-child relationships. Using a longitudinal design, Study 2 also showed the moderating role of children's preschool experiences in the associations between parent-child and teacher-child relationships. Relationships with mothers were associated significantly with relationships with teachers at 3 months after the children's preschool entrance and, again, this association was mediated fully by children's social competence. In contrast, neither mother-child nor father-child relationships correlated significantly with teacher-child relationships at the end of the first or second preschool year.     

Relationships among perceived competence,intrinsic value and mastery goal orientation in English and maths

A large and burgeoning literature has established that mastery goal orientations yield positive cognitive and behavioural educational outcomes. Less research has focused on the psychological antecedents of adopting mastery goals. The present study draws upon prominent psychological theories of ac motivation, specifically the expectancy-value theory of Eccles, Wigfield and colleagues (Wigfield and Eccles 2002), to explore possible antecedents of students’ mastery goals. Based on this theoretical framework, our study focused on children’s perceptions of their competencies in English and maths and how these related to intrinsic value and mastery goals for English and maths. Questionnaires were used to gather data about Year 6 (N=60) participants’ perceived competence, intrinsic value and mastery goal orientation, and correlational analyses established the direction and strength of the relationships between the perceptions. Participants were targeted for follow-up interviews (n=17) according to a matrix of low and high competence perceptions and mastery goals, with students selected from within each of six focal groups. Interview responses were reported according to emergent themes, from which we describe how the constructs under consideration relate to one another and highlight implications for educational practice.     

Environmentally active people: the role of autonomy,relatedness, competence and self-determined motivation

To identify pathways to lower environmental impacts, this research examined the motivation and antecedents of motivation (autonomy, relatedness, competence), of environmentally active people. Previous research suggests that people with more self-determined motivation for pro-environmental behavior (PEB) should carry out more PEBs, and have lower environmental impacts, than people whose motivation is more externally regulated. Path analysis in Sample 1 (N = 261) confirmed that self-determined motivation was positively related to both easy and difficult PEB. The more participants judged that their needs for autonomy and relatedness were met in relation to performing PEB, the more self-determined their motivation. Higher perceived relatedness was also directly related to reporting more engagement in difficult PEB. Perceived competence was not related to self-determined motivation or PEB. The pattern of results was largely supported when re-tested with a sample (N = 320) who completed a ‘carbon footprint’ measure of environmental impact as well as the questionnaire completed by Sample 1. In this sample, autonomy, relatedness, and competence were related to self-determined motivation. The research is the first to our knowledge to examine and find a relationship between higher self-determined motivation and lower self-reported environmental impact. These findings point to new approaches to increasing PEB.     

Comparison of brain activation during norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced feedback: The role of perceived competence and performance-approach goals

The patterns of brain activation during norm-referenced and criterion-referenced feedback were compared, using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-two healthy right-handed individuals performed a series of perceptual judgment tasks while their brain activity was recorded. The participants responded to a performance-approach goal survey and performed practice trials prior to scanning, during which their perceived competence toward the novel task was manipulated with bogus performance information. During scanning, the participants received either norm-referenced or criterion-referenced feedback after each performance. The brain regions associated with negative affect including the posterior cingulate cortex, the medial frontal gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobule were recruited during norm-referenced feedback only among the low-competence participants. In contrast, significant activation was observed in the identical cortical areas involved in negative affect during criterion-referenced feedback only among the high-competence participants. Regardless of the level of perceived competence, performance-approach goal scores correlated positively with activation in the brain areas implicated in the negative emotion during norm-referenced feedback. The present findings provide insight into the potential costs and benefits of normative assessment.     

The effects of extrinsic reinforcement on intrinsic motivation

In this paper, the role of extrinsic reinforcement in intrinsic motivation is discussed in terms of Deci's cognitive attribution theory. The competing response hypothesis and the frustration hypothesis are presented as alternative modes of analysis. “Undermining” is the phenomenon proposed by the cognitive attribution theorists that accounts for reported decrements in intrinsically motivated behaviors following external rewards. The literature regarding undermining in token economy research is critically evaluated. The author concludes that: (a) Cognitive attribution theory lacks parsimony, in that extant reinforcement analysis can account for undermining with equal facility. (b) Undermining is of little significance as a concept, due to its elusive and transient impact on operant behavior.     

The relationship between children's reading motivation and reading competence

It has been found that motivation is very important to children’s reading competence.This paper intended to study intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and find their relationship with children’s reading competence.In order to do so,previous investigations about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were critically reviewed,and their results were discussed in this paper.     

形成性评估对大学英语网络自主学习的促进作用

大学英语网络教学改革已实施多年,然而在实践中如何提高大学生网络学习效率却始终是一个难题。以学生为中心的形成性评估注重对学习过程的评价,较之传统的评价模式,它更能全面、客观地评价学生的学习,因此有助于提高大学英语网络学习效率。     

Within‐year changes in Chinese secondary school students' perceived reading instruction and intrinsic reading motivation

This study aimed to expand on existing research about motivational change by investigating within‐year changes of adolescents' intrinsic reading motivation and perceived reading instruction among students from different grades and achievement levels. Six hundred and ninety five students from 10 secondary schools in Hong Kong voluntarily completed a questionnaire that measured these two variables at the beginning and near the end of a school year. The study's findings indicated that students' intrinsic reading motivation was generally stable over a school year. A significant increase in the perceived degree of mastery goal structure in reading instruction was observed near the end of the school year. Students' perception of instruction remained a strong and positive predictor of intrinsic motivation after controlling their prior motivation and other background variables. Different factors affecting students' motivational change are discussed to provide insights for promoting their reading motivation and counter the prevalent trend of motivational decline.     

Recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation: A cautionary tale

Intrinsic motivation has multiple definitions. Introductory teacher education courses must alert prospective teachers to the exceptional qualities of non‐conforming students who lack the benefit of being teacher pleasers. Teacher trainers must ensure that pre‐teachers are aware of the multiple definitions of intrinsic motivation prior to a request that they observe, listen, and analyze intrinsically motivated students. Without a complete understanding of the characteristics of gifted students and the types of behaviors they sometimes exhibit within the classroom, many gifted students will be unrecognized and underserved. With services to gifted students tied to their identification, it becomes important for classroom teachers to be able to recognize that the potential for gifted behavior often extends far beyond the ability to contribute efficiently and effectively. Pre‐service teachers must also recognize that intrinsically motivated students sometimes view their initial attempts as work in progress and remain skeptical and critical of their accomplishments.     

The importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for measuring IQ

This research provides an economic model of the way people behave during an IQ test. We distinguish a technology that describes how time investment improves performance from preferences that determine how much time people invest in each question. We disentangle these two elements empirically using data from a laboratory experiment. The main findings is that both intrinsic (questions that people like to work on) and extrinsic motivation (incentive payments) increase time investments and as a result performance. The presence of incentive payments seems to be more important than the size of the reward. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation turn out to be complements.     

The assessment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and amotivation: Validity and reliability of the Greek version of the Academic Motivation Scale

Self‐determination theory provides an integrated conception of school‐ and academic motivation. The theory proposes a continuum comprising three types of motivation: intrinsic motivation (IM), extrinsic motivation (EM), and amotivation (AM), characterised by seven dimensions (IM = to know, to accomplish and to experience stimulation, EM = external regulation, introjection and identification, and Amotivation). The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) with Greek high school students. Two studies were conducted to examine the factorial, construct, concurrent and predictive validity of the scale along with its reliability properties. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed seven‐factor structure. The scale showed satisfactory levels of internal consistency and temporal stability. Additionally, indices of the scale’s construct, concurrent, and predictive validity were in the desired direction. These findings support the use of the Greek version of the AMS for the assessment of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation.     

Formative assessment: the role of participatory action research in blending policy and practice in Uganda

This paper documents teachers’ assessment practices and pupils’ learning to read and write in large classes. To gain insights into the assessment practices and pupils’ learning, the principles of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and participatory action research (PAR) design were adopted. Collaboratively, teachers reflected on their assessment practices, developed, implemented and monitored the assessment practices. Through observation, in-depth interview and review of exercise books, data were obtained. We argue that teachers’ involvement in PAR has contributed to changing assessment practices in large classes and in improving pupils’ competencies in reading and writing. On the other hand to promote better assessment practices, we advocate for reduced number of pupils in a class and teachers’ workload to enable them offer more support to the pupils during assessment of reading and writing.