Motivation theories and implications for teaching and learning in the biosciences

Learning is fundamental throughout the development of human life. It is also known that motivation is a key factor to successful learning. The pre-entry attributes of the student (Terenzini & Pascarella, 1980) including their own internal attitudes and motivations, are considered important for successful integration into a university system. In addition, Tinto (1975) has maintained that pre-university schooling is important for academic and social integration of students and hence their learning and motivation as deduced from successful completion rates. A pivotal goal of higher education is for students ‘to learn how to learn.’ A variety of teaching approaches encourage students to adopt a deep approach to learning by seeking a personal understanding. Within the science domain, the recent Science and Innovation White Paper (HEFCE 2008) highlighted ‘the critical role that higher education plays in the competitiveness of the nation and the productivity of its public services’. A good supply of well-trained, talented and motivated researchers is essential for research excellence and innovation. The challenge therefore, for higher education, is to skill and motivate science students to become creative and entrepreneurial ‘lifelong learners’ in a fast changing work environment that provides better health care, ensures a cleaner, safer environment, and builds on the existing science base to ensure excellence. For the Biosciences disciplines, QAA Benchmark statements specify motivating and challenging the student with the use of a ‘skilled and balanced selection of teaching and learning techniques’ (QAA website). Blended learning is recommended through a wide range of teaching methods - including laboratory sessions, self-directed study, computer-aided learning, case studies and problem-based learning, demonstrations, active learning sets, work-based learning and/or placements, reflective practice, research project work - and assessment strategies. This paper provides an overview of theories of motivation based on the work of some motivation theorists. Some key principles are identified from the literature that link cognition, motivation and learning and which could have application in the teaching of Biosciences towards the goal of lifelong learning

The development of motivation research in educational psychology: the transition from early theories to self-related approaches

Motivation has been one of the earliest concepts of interest in general and educational psychology. Learning is mediated by individuals’ reasons and choices to do something or to abstain from it. The current paper is an attempt to summarise and review the development of motivation theories, models and frameworks within educational psychology. It specifically focuses on the emergence of self-related theories in motivation research. The earlier trends and theories such as expectancy-value theories, goal theories, and attribution theories are briefly described and the influential scholars who contributed to these theoretical developments are introduced. Then, the theoretical transition to self-related theories of motivation is highlighted. A general review of self-worth, self-determination and self-efficacy theories that stemmed from the concept of self is also provided

HELP, IS IT WORTH IT FOR ME(N)?: A STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING BLACK MEN\u27S PERCEPTION OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Nationally, men of color are graduating college at the lowest rates of all race gender subgroups. Prior research suggests this population faces unique obstacles as it relates to race and gender and these challenges are often invisible and difficult to resolve. Academic supports can help students overcome these obstacles; however, it is not clear that they are influencing Black men’s academic help-seeking behavior and, thus, their educational outcomes. Using the Motivated Learning Strategies Questionnaire and data from Knight Community College, two multiple regressions and three t-test were used to explore the relationship between value, expectancy, program participation and resource management strategies for an English 101 course. This research may help understand perceptions of resource management and identify predictive relationships. Additionally, findings may provide new strategies and initiatives may be innovated

Elaborating the motivational attributes of information need and uncertainty

Journal has a creative commons license: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Musical Motivation: Towards a model synthesising the research

This article explores motivation to participate in music making activities. It examines historical and current theories of motivation and sets out a model describing the way that the characteristics of the individual including, personality, self-concept and personal goals interact with the environment to influence motivation and subsequent behaviour. The environment may include culture and sub-cultures, society, time, place, institutions, family and peers and the rewards and punishments that these offer. The article then explores research relating to motivation to actively participate in music. This supports the notion that musical motivation is determined by complex interactions between the individual and the environment within which they find themselves. The article concludes with a consideration of directions for future research

Georgia Norms for the Teacher Motivation Diagnostic Questionnaire

One purpose of this study was to establish Georgia norms for the Teacher Motivation Diagnostic Questionnaire (TMDQ), an instrument designed to assess four specific aspects of teacher motivation. The four aspects included (a) Principal Expectations, the beliefs teachers have about how much principals value student achievement, (b) Future Utility, how much teachers believe improvement in student achievement would benefit them, (c) Self-Concept of Ability, how much confidence teachers have that they can improve student achievement, and (d) Attitude Toward Principal, the attitudes teachers have about the principal. Another purpose of the study was to determine if there were statistically significant differences in the means of the Georgia sample and the means of a national sample. Two mailings were used for collecting data. For the first mailing questionnaires were sent to 200 randomly selected public elementary and secondary schools in Georgia. At the request of the principal, teachers in each school were asked to complete the questionnaire, as well as some background questions. A second mailing utilized the same procedures. Raw score data were converted into normative scores, which included means, standard deviations, percentile ranks, and z scores. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine if a statistically significant difference existed. Results revealed that in all four aspects of teacher motivation as measured by the TMDQ, the means of the Georgia sample were statistically significantly higher than the national sample

On modeling of interviewee motivation mental states for an intelligent coaching agent

This paper is on agent based model of interview motivation to be integrated in a mental constructs model which serves as a basic mechanics for an intelligent virtual agent coaching for job interview. It has been hypothesized that interview motivation combines with self-efficacy and anxiety to define the mental state of a job interviewee. The concepts were modeled based on psychological theories defining human mental state in a time bounded tasking situation like job interview. The proposed model was formalized and simulated to according to its temporal behaviours. The results of the simulation conform to patterns of a number of relations and casual effects on motivation identified in literature. Additionally, the formal model has been automatically verified using Temporal Trace Language (TTL) to find out which stable situations exist. Consequently, this model can serve as a platform for designing an intelligent agent that can understand the metal state of the user during job interview coaching session

Self-Efficacy, Satisfaction, and Academic Achievement: The Mediator Role of Students' Expectancy-Value Beliefs.

Although there is considerable evidence to support the direct effects of self-efficacy beliefs on academic achievement, very few studies have explored the motivational mechanism that mediates the self-efficacy-achievement relationship, and they are necessary to understand how and why self-efficacy affects students' academic achievement. Based on a socio-cognitive perspective of motivation, this study examines the relationships among academic self-efficacy, students' expectancy-value beliefs,teaching process satisfaction, and academic achievement. Its main aim is to identify some motivational-underlying processes through which students' academic self-efficacy affects student achievement and satisfaction. Student achievement and satisfaction are two of the most important learning outcomes, and are considered key indicators ofeducation quality. The sample comprises 797 Spanish secondary education students from 36 educational settings and three schools. The scales that referred to self-efficacy and expectancy-value beliefs were administered at the beginning of the course, while student satisfaction and achievement were measured at the end of the course. The data analysis was conducted by structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that students' expectancy-value beliefs (Subject value, Process expectancy, Achievement expectancy, Cost expectancy) played a mediator role between academic self-efficacy and the achievement/satisfaction relationship. These results provided empirical evidence to better understand the mechanism that mediates self-efficacy-achievement and efficacy-course satisfaction relationships. The implications of these findings for teaching and learning in secondary education are discussed

The identification of online learning motives in use by undergraduate students

It is generally agreed that the identification of learning motives, and subsequent inclusion of supportive instructional methods and strategies into course design, can contribute to the transfer and retention of course content (Shih & Gamon, 1999; Warschauer, 1996; Wlodkowski, 1999). Online, or web-based instruction is becoming a relatively cost-effective delivery method as many businesses and universities seek to lower costs. However, limited research into online learning motives has occurred. As a result, many online instructors and course designers rely on traditional learning motives derived from classroom research (Warschauer, 1996). Since the development and use of learning motives is considered to be the best predictor of student achievement (Shih & Gamon, 1999) it becomes increasingly important that inquiry into this area would benefit both student and instructor/course designer. As part of the continuous improvement process established by the University of Tennessee\u27s Human Resource Development Department and its Diversified Instructional Modality Systems (DIMS) course development and delivery team, this study was conducted to identify learning motives in use by undergraduate students enrolled in core online courses offered by the Human Resource Development Department during the Spring Semester of 2000. A sixteen item, Likert-type questionnaire was administered to all undergraduate online students. Items were grouped within five primary learning motives derived from a review of learning motive theories characterized by course interest, course relevance, personal feelings and emotions, reinforcement and self-competence. In addition, demographic information such as gender, marital status, employment status and student status were collected for future correlational analysis. The highest levels of agreement occurred in responses pertaining to course relevance, reinforcement and self-competence, respectively. Course interest and personal feelings and emotions indicated less agreement among online students. However, individual item agreement levels were highest in receiving frequent instructor feedback, preferring course material that arouses curiosity, completing the course and learning what is being taught, respectively. Least agreement was indicated in thinking about personal emotions and feelings, learning things that were surprising or unexpected, self-praise in the absence of instructor praise, and maintaining attention using a variety of lesson topics. Based upon the results of this survey, appropriate learning methods and strategies were identified for possible inclusion into current and future online instructional plans