The virtue of culture in understanding motivation at school : commentary on the special issue on culture and motivation

Students' higher level of motivation is not based solely on intrapersonal factors as innate characteristics, but also on contexts in which students are supposed to develop their competencies. Thus, the cultural context is expected to shape motivation. Values and beliefs shared by a cultural group will affect students' motivation to learn and educational outcomes. This special issue on culture and motivation presents a collection of ground-breaking research ideas that advance our knowledge on how motivation is shaped by the cultural context and how motivation processes are affected by the cultural milieu. Hopefully, this special issue will stimulate new research that will advance our understanding of motivation at school

Motivations underlying career decision-making activities : the career decision-making autonomy scale (CDMAS)

The purpose of the present research was to develop and validate a measure of motivation toward career decision-making activities, the Career Decision-Making Autonomy Scale (CDMAS). The CDMAS is designed to assess the constructs of intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation. A longitudinal study was used to develop and validate the CDMAS. Overall, results show that the CDMAS is composed of four internally consistent factors. The construct validity of the scale is also supported by (a) a quasi-simplex pattern of correlations, (b) correlations with personality variables and vocational constructs, and (c) convergent and divergent correlations. In sum, the CDMAS represents a valid self-report measure of intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation toward career decision-making activitie

Motivation at school : differentiation between and within school subjects matters in the prediction of academic achievement

School motivation is a multidimensional concept. It can be qualitatively defined by various sources of regulation as well as by the school subject to which it pertains. Based on self-determination theory, we postulate that motivation types vary in terms of quality (from lower to higher quality these types are: external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic) and that higher motivational quality predicts positive outcomes. In this study, we examined school subject differentiation in motivational quality and prediction patterns of academic achievement. Results from bi-factor ESEM examining differences in motivational quality within a subject (French, math, and English as a second language) showed that high general levels of motivation in math and English predicted achievement, and more so in the corresponding school subject. Intrinsic motivation for a school subject was generally positively associated with achievement, but only in the corresponding school subject, whereas introjected and external regulations for most school subjects negatively predicted achievement in the corresponding school subject, but also in the other ones. Results from bi-factor ESEM examining differences in motivation levels for distinct school subjects for a given motivation type showed that general levels of intrinsic and external regulations across school subjects predicted achievement positively and negatively, respectively, in all school subjects, while intrinsic motivation, but also identified regulation, had positive subject-specific associations with achievement. The specificity of intrinsic and identified motivations and non-specificity of introjected and external motivations point toward various recommendations in school motivation research and practice. While assessment of autonomous motivations should be subject-specific, assessment of controlled motivations could be general with no loss of predictive power

Motivation towards extracurricular activities and motivation at school : a test of the generalization effect hypothesis

Participation in extracurricular activities is a promising avenue for enhancing students' school motivation. Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), the goal of this study was to test a serial multiple mediator model. In this model, students' perceptions of autonomy support from their extracurricular activity leader predicted their activity-based intrinsic and identified regulations. In turn, these regulations predicted their school-based intrinsic and identified regulations during the same school year. Finally, these regulations predicted their school-based intrinsic and identified regulations one year later. A total of 276 youths (54% girls) from disadvantaged neighborhoods were surveyed over two waves of data collection. The proposed mediation model was supported for both types of regulation. These results highlight the generalization effects of motivation from the extracurricular activity context to the school context

Social context, students’ motivation, and academic achievement : toward a process model.

The purpose of the present research was to propose and test a motivational process model of academic achievement. The model posits that parental, teachers, and school administration support for students' autonomy positively influences students' perceived school competence and autonomy. In turn, perceived school competence and autonomy affect positively self-determined school motivation which in turn influences academic achievement. Two studies using a prospective design tested the adequacy of the model. In Study I, participants were 1,623 ninth-grade students. Results from structural equation modeling supported the motivational model. Participants in Study 2 were 1,098 tenth-grade students. Results from this study corroborated those of Study 1 controlling for students' prior achievement in the ninth grade. The role of self-determinod school motivation in academic achievement is discussed and avenues for future research are considered

La motivation à poursuivre des activités liées au choix de carrière et le niveau d’indécision de carrière des étudiants du collégial

Conférence présentée lors du colloque « Journée de la recherche sur la motivation au collégial » Acfas, Montréal, 10 mai 201

Teaching to address diverse learning needs : development and validation of a differentiated instruction scale

In the province of Quebec, Canada, a trend towards full inclusion has impelled teachers to adapt their instruction to meet the needs of both advanced and weaker learners in regular school settings. The main purpose of the present investigation was to develop and validate the Differentiated Instruction Scale (DIS), which assesses the use of instructional adaptations and academic progress monitoring strategies in general education classrooms. A total of 125 elementary school teachers participated in a cross-sectional study, allowing us to develop and validate the DIS. Overall our results show that the DIS is composed of two factors that are consistent with the predicted constructs (instructional adaptations and academic progress monitoring). Evidence of convergent validity is provided through correlations among DIS' subscales and two criteria: (1) teachers' autonomy support and (2) perceptions of school climate. Results also reveal that teachers tend to use instructional adaptations that do not require much preparation or tailored instruction. The DIS could thus be used in future research to investigate outcomes of differentiated instruction. Moreover, it could provide useful information on optimal strategies for promoting learning in children with different abilities in general education classrooms

Teacher structure as a predictor of students’ perceived competence and autonomous motivation : the moderating role of differentiated instruction

Background An important pedagogical practice is the provision of structure (Farkas & Grolnick, 2010, Motiv. Emot., 34, 266). According to self‐determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, Intrinsic motivation and self‐determination in human behavior, Plenum, New York, NY), structure allows students to develop perceived competence in different school subjects, which in turn facilitates the development of autonomous motivation towards these subjects and limits the development of controlled motivation. Aims In this study, we test a mediated moderation model that posits that teacher structure has a stronger positive effect on students’ autonomous motivation (and a negative effect on controlled motivation) in French class when differentiated instruction is used, and that this moderation effect is mediated by perceived competence. Sample To test this model, we used a sample of 27 elementary school teachers and 422 students from Quebec, a province of Canada. Methods Data for teachers and students were collected with self‐report measures. The method used was a correlational one with a single measurement time. Results Results revealed that (1) the effect of teacher structure on students’ autonomous motivation was positive only when differentiated instruction strategies were frequently used, and this moderated effect was partially mediated by perceived competence, and (2) teacher structure was negatively associated with students’ controlled motivation only when differentiated instruction was provided infrequently, and this moderated effect was not explained by perceived competence. Conclusions These findings are discussed in the light of the literature on SDT and on differentiated instruction

Optimal learning in optimal contexts : the role of self-determination in education.

This literature review provides an overview of education studies that have been guided by selfdetermination theory (SDT). First, the authors examine studies that have assessed motivation based on SDT. Second, the authors detail research that has focussed on the linkages between motivation types and students’ behavioural, affective, and cognitive outcomes. Third, the authors present studies on how learning contexts (parents, teachers) contribute to students’ motivational resources. The authors conclude that the motivation types proposed by SDT are important for understanding how students thrive and succeed at school. The authors also highlight the significant role played by teachers and parents in the development of student motivation. The authors conclude with a summary of the benefits of selfmotivation for learning and offer some recommendations for the field.Le présent article procure une vue d'ensemble des études sur l'éducation qui ont été guidées par la théorie de l'autodétermination. En premier lieu, nous examinons les études qui ont évalué la motivation fondée sur la théorie de l'autodétermination. Nous expliquons ensuite la recherche portant sur les liens existant entre les types de motivation et les résultats des étudiants en matière de comportement et de composantes affectives et cognitives. Nous présentons aussi les études sur les contextes d'apprentissage (parents, enseignants) qui contribuent aux ressources motivationnelles des êtudiants. Nous en déduisons que les types de motivation proposés par la théorie de l'autodétermination permettent de comprendre les éléments qui permettent aux étudiants de se démarquer et de réussir en milieu scolaire. Nous mettons aussi en relief le rôle important que jouent les enseignants et les parents dans le développement de la motivation de l'éudiant. En conclusion, nous présentons un résumé des bienfaits de l'automotivation dans le cadre de l'apprentissage et offrons quelques recommandations pertinentes au domaine en question

The big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept : the moderating role of differentiated instruction

The big-fish–little-pond effect (BFLPE) postulates that class-average achievement has a negative effect on students' academic self-concept. We hypothesized that teachers' use of differentiated instruction strategies would attenuate the BFLPE on French self-concept (FSC). We also explored whether this moderation effect depended on children's individual achievement (i.e., a three-way interaction among class-average achievement, individual achievement, and differentiated instruction). Using hierarchical linear modeling, we tested this moderation effect in a sample of 422 elementary students nested in 27 classrooms. The results showed that the three-way interaction was significant. Simple slopes indicated a significant BFLPE only for students with low individual achievement and for whom teachers reported less frequent use of differentiated instruction strategies. Our findings provide insights into which students may be the most affected by the BFLPE and which teaching practices can attenuate its negative consequences on students' FSC. We discuss results in relation to the literature on the BFLPE and on differentiated instruction