Enhancing Persistence on Mastery Tasks Among Young Preschool Children by Implementing the “I Can” Mastery Motivation Classroom Program

Task persistence plays important role in school readiness and helps to enhance young children’s cognitive development and academic skills; thus, designing and implementing programs to enhance it is vital. The objective of the present research was to assess the effectiveness of the “I Can” mastery motivation classroom program in enhancing young children’s persistence on mastery tasks. Altogether, forty-four (n = 44) children between the ages of two to three years selected from three kindergartens in Malaysia participated in the research, which was conducted by using a randomized pretest and posttest experimental-control group design. Persistence on three mastery tasks and mastery pleasure were assessed by using the Individualized Assessment of Mastery Motivation manual. The experimental group (n = 25) was exposed to the “I Can” mastery motivation classroom program, while the control group (n = 19) attended regular classroom lessons. There was a significant gain score difference between the experimental and control groups on task persistence for puzzles but not for shape sorters, cause and effect toys, and mastery pleasure. Thus, the program was effective in enhancing persistence on some mastery tasks. The content and findings of the intervention should help policy makers understand this important aspect of early childhood education

Subject Specific Mastery Motivation in Moldovan Middle School Students

Given the crucial role of mastery motivation in the cognitive development of children, the present study investigates subject-specific mastery motivation in the multilingual educational system of the Republic of Moldova. We applied cross-sectional data from fifth, seventh, and ninth graders studying either in the Romanian (n = 583) or Russian (n = 353) language using the Subject Specific Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (SSMMQ). To ensure the validity of the comparison of latent mean differences, the Romanian and Russian versions of SSMMQ were validated and measurement invariance of the constructs across language, grade, and gender was assessed. The full scalar invariance across grades and gender and the partial scalar invariance across language held. Thus, a comparison of latent mean differences across these three groups is plausible. The findings proved that there was no difference between the Romanian and Russian samples, but we found girls self-rated themselves significantly higher than boys in the Reading, Art, and Music mastery motivation scales. Results with respect to the comparison of latent mean differences between the grade levels demonstrated that the Reading mastery motivation of the Moldovan students stayed stable from fifth to ninth grades, whereas Art had a constant declining path

Incorporating An Assessment of Mastery Motivation In Elementary School Students Within A School Psychological Evaluation

The purpose of this project was to explore and determine a systematic way of measuring Mastery Motivation in students. Mastery Motivation is a dimension of intelligence that leads a student to master tasks for the intrinsic feeling of efficacy rather than for extrinsic reasons (MacTurk & Morgan, 1995). The inquiry process was an ongoing collaboration among a group of practicing elementary school psychologists. Conversations were recorded and analyzed. The result was the creation of an informal observational tool for measuring Mastery Motivation to be used a school psychological evaluation. This tool was made available for the participating school psychologists to use at their discretion to widen the scope for reporting indicators of levels of intelligence in elementary age students

Mastery Behavior and Brain Injury in Infancy

This study aims to determine the combined effect of degree of brain injury and age on mastery behavior among infants. Specifically, it investigates whether degree of brain injury in infancy can predict later competence, or mastery motivation behavior at both 7 and 10 months of age. In this context, mastery motivation is defined as “persistence” or the percent of time spent engaging in persistent behavior. To test the hypothesis that there would be a significant interaction between age and brain injury on mastery scores, participants engaged in 12-15-minute toy play sessions at 7- and 10-months-old. Data was analyzed using a two-way mixed ANOVA. Although a statistically significant interaction between age and brain injury was not found, the results showed a small main effect in the direction hypothesized: more brain injury was associated with lower mastery motivation scores. Also found in the direction hypothesized was that on average, mastery motivation scores were higher at age 10 months than at age 7 months among infant participants. Lastly, there was a significant difference in mastery motivation scores found among the severe brain injury group, where scores were statistically significantly higher at 10 months old than 7 months old. These results suggest that brain injury may remain relatively stable throughout infancy, unless the brain injury is severe. In the case of severe brain injury, mastery behavior appears to show a natural incline, as there were no interventions used in this study. On this understanding, varying degrees of brain injury should be considered when investigating brain injury in infancy and its effects on mastery behavior

Assessment of Mastery Motivation and Neurodevelopment of Young Children at High Risk for Developmental Delays

Young children’s mastery motivation and neurodevelopmental evaluation can contribute to overall early assessment for early intervention evaluation. At present, children born preterm (<37 weeks gestation) and with a low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) are at increased risk of experiencing developmental delays and more nuanced cognitive and language challenges. The main objective of this exploratory study was to examine the connection between preterm children’s mastery motivation and their neurodevelopment, as well as to determine whether assessing mastery motivation can enhance assessment practices for early intervention (EI) programs. Parents of children born preterm completed the revised Dimensions of Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DMQ18). Neurodevelopment was measured on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Results revealed significant correlations between DMQ18 and BSID-III measures. Multivariate analysis showed that infants and toddlers born with a very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) scored significantly lower on the infant DMQ18 and the BSID-III measures. Regression analyses revealed that birth weight and home environment were significant predictors of the children’s eligibility for EI programs. Infants’ social persistence with other children, gross motor persistence, and mastery pleasure, as well as toddlers’ objective cognitive persistence, social persistence with adults, gross motor persistence, mastery pleasure, and negative reaction to frustration, were important markers for evidenced-based practices in EI programs. This study demonstrates the utility of the DMQ18 as a contributory assessment measure and the importance of birth weight and home environment in predicting EI enrollment

Mastery motivation: moving towards a better understanding of college student success

2019 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.This comparative and associational quantitative study applied a pragmatic theoretical perspective to the exploration of college student dispositions. First, the study evaluated the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire College (DAMMQ-C) as a measure of mastery motivation in U.S. college students. Secondly, the study explored the relationship between mastery motivation, high school grade point average (HSGPA), ACT composite score, and college academic performance. Finally, the study examined differences in mastery motivation across various student characteristics, including developmental education status. Participants at a four year regional comprehensive, n = 288 , and a two-year community college, n = 37, completed a 35-item adapted version of the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DAMMQ) that included three college specific social persistence scales to better align the instrument with the broader student success literature. Principal axis exploratory factor analysis with a varimax rotation was conducted to evaluate the underlying structure of the 35 items. Multiple iterations of hierarchical multiple regression were conducted with the aggregate sample and disaggregated groups based on development education status to explore the ability of dispositional and cognitive factors. to explain variance in college GPA. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the ability of dispositional and cognitive factors to correctly classify participants that did or did not pass all attempted hours. Finally, t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine potential difference in DAMMQ-C scale scores by student characteristics. Following exploratory factor analysis, 27 items were retained within seven factor structure: (a) preference for challenge, (b) task persistence, (c) task pleasure, (d) task absorption, (e) social persistence with peers, (f) social persistence with faculty, and (g) academic relationship with faculty. The factors displayed adequate to good internal consistency. Regression analysis results indicated that the DAMMQ-C dispositional scales provided increased explanation of variance in college GPA over and above traditional cognitive factors for the aggregate, developmental, and non-developmental education groups. However, the amount of variance explained varied by group. For the aggregate and non-developmental education groups the DAMMQ-C scales contributed an additional 5% and 2%, respectively. Within the developmental education group, the model failed to significantly explain variance in college GPA until the DAMMQ-C scales were added in the final block. The model then explained 15% of the variance in college GPA. A few statistically significant differences were found based on student characteristics. Developmental education students reported statistically significantly lower scores in academic relationship with faculty, task-related pleasure, and total mastery motivation. Black students reported statistically significantly lower scores in social persistence with peers, social persistence with faculty, academic relationship with faculty, and total mastery motivation. The results supported continued use of dispositional factors in understanding and supporting student success, in faculty and staff training, admission practices, and identifying and developing student success interventions, especially for developmental education students. Finally, the study carried implications for future research through the initial validation of a multi-faceted dispositional instrument that was concise and practical for use in longitudinal studies needed to (in)validate more comprehensive models of college student success

Mastery motivation of university students in Australia, Hungary, Bangladesh and Iran

This study trialed a newly developed measure of adult mastery motivation in four different cultural contexts. The Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire was translated into Hungarian and Persian languages. A total of 469 university students in Australia, Hungary, Bangladesh and Iran completed the questionnaire about their levels of persistence, preference for challenge, task absorption, and task pleasure. Cronbach alphas for the total mastery motivation scale and most subscales were acceptable to good. There were no differences in self-reported mastery motivation across the four countries, but significant gender differences were evident. In all countries except Hungary, male students reported higher levels of mastery motivation. The DAMMQ appears to be a useful measure of mastery motivation across diverse cultures. The findings provide some support for the universality of the theoretical construct of mastery motivation and suggest the potential need for universities to encourage and nurture female students in their striving for mastery. Given the importance of university education for a country’s prosperity, understanding the motivational factors that underlie academic success is imperative to inform policies and programs for increasing student retention and individual well-being

Longitudinal Association between Children’s Mastery Motivation and Cognitive School Readiness: Executive Functioning and Social-emotional Competence as Potential Mediators

This study investigated the direct relationships between kindergarten children’s object and social mastery motivation and future cognitive school readiness and the indirect relationships mediated through executive functioning and social-emotional competence in the school context. The participants were 103 Hong Kong kindergarten children (45.6% girls, mean age = 60.4 months) and their teachers. The teachers reported the children’s demographic information and object and social mastery motivation at time 1 (in the middle of the school year). They rated the children’s executive functioning, social-emotional competence, and cognitive school readiness at time 2 (at the end of the school year). The results from the path analysis model revealed that the children’s object mastery motivation at time 1, but not their social mastery motivation, directly predicted their cognitive school readiness at time 2. The indirect relationships between (1) object mastery motivation at time 1 and cognitive school readiness at time 2 mediated through executive functioning (indirect effect: β = .32, SE = .05, p < .001), and (2) social mastery motivation at time 1 and cognitive school readiness at time 2 mediated through social-emotional competence (indirect effect: β = .09, SE = .03, p < .01) were significant. The findings highlight the differential roles of object and social mastery motivation in predicting children’s cognitive school readiness and propose children’s executive functioning and social-emotional competence as processes mediating the relationships. The results also suggest the desirability of providing kindergarten children with extensive play opportunities and materials to support their mastery motivation and cognitive school readiness