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The Reduction Of Anti-Gay Bias Through Interpersonal Contact: The Moderating Roles Of Hiv Stigma And Motivation To Respond Without Prejudice., Lisa Ann Elliott

Psychology Theses

The intergroup contact effect is well-documented in the research literature (for a meta-analysis see Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). Although researchers have identified a few moderators of the contact effect, the constraints under which the contact effect is optimally effective are not well understood. The current research explored two individual difference measures related to anti-gay attitudes, AIDS stigma and motivation to respond without prejudice (internal and external motivation), as potential moderators of the contact effect on heterosexual men’s attitudes towards gay men. Results indicated that increased external motivation and AIDS stigma hinder the benefits of contact for anti-gay attitudes. Implications of …

Examining Client Motivation And Counseling Outcome, Guy Ilagan

All Dissertations

University mental health clinics have experienced a marked increase in demand for services without an increase in resources to meet the rising demand. Consequently, university mental health centers need strategies to determine the best allocation of their limited resources. Transtheoretical Model, based on client motivation, may offer valuable insight into whether a university student is likely to benefit from campus mental health counseling.
The subjects included 331 university students at a liberal arts, public university in the Southeastern part of the United States. The subjects consisted of all students over age 18 who visited the research site campus mental health …

Increasing Student Motivation To Become A Successful Industrial Engineer, Danielle Lanigan

All Theses

This paper explores the use of the VIE theory of Motivation in the field of Industrial Engineering Education. This work focuses on two different populations of students, college students who have chosen Industrial Engineering as a major and middle school students with a predisposition toward engineering. To start, we used a mixed methods sequential explanatory study to learn more about Clemson University department of Industrial Engineering students. Quantitatively, the study found that differences exist among different subsets of Industrial Engineering students. Female students have a higher motivation than male students do, and students with university sponsored project experience have a …

Exploring Teacher Perceptions Of Influential Facilitators Of Elementary Mathematics Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Sandra Linder

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of the facilitator in elementary mathematics professional development. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to answer the central research question: How do United States elementary school teachers perceive an influential facilitator of elementary mathematics professional development (EMPD)? Phase one of this study explored teacher perceptions through a phenomenological design, which informed the second phase of the study, the implementation of a survey instrument to elementary school mathematics teachers on a larger scale. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter One presents a rationale for examining the role of the facilitator in professional …

Student Perceptions Of Reading Motivation In A Voluntary Summer Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Dissertation, Julie Mcgaha

All Dissertations

How might a voluntary, high school summer reading program affect students' literacy motivation? A sequential exploratory mixed methods line of research attempted to answer this question. In study 1, after completing a summer reading program, 900 students from the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades provided written responses to the open-ended question, 'What was the best thing about the summer reading program?' The researchers analyzed their responses with a phenomenological technique adapted from Moustakas (1994), yielding 11 motivational themes. In study 2, those themes guided the creation of a survey instrument, which then was administered to a different sample of 1600 …

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Motivational Strategies In The Foreign Language Classroom, Ashley Ruesch

Theses and Dissertations

Motivational research has recently shifted focus to include what role teachers, and the motivational strategies they use, play in the language learning classroom (Cheng & Dörnyei, 2007; Dörnyei & Csizer, 1998). Motivational research has traditionally gathered data from either teachers or students. However, researchers have recently been calling for a shift in focus from this individualistic perspective to evaluating motivation more holistically (Dörnyei, 2001a; Oxford, 2003; Ushioda, 2006). Nevertheless, few studies have included the opinions of both the students and teachers. This study has elicited the opinions of both students and teachers to find out which teaching practices both groups …

A Descriptive Study Examining Motivation, Goal Orientations, Coaching, And Training Habits Of Women Ultrarunners, Rhonna Zena Krouse

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ultrarunners are people who participate in running events that exceed the 26.2 mile marathon distance. Currently, women make up approximately 20% of this population. To date, no studies have investigated female ultrarunners. The present study sought to describe these women (N = 344) by evaluating motivational factors for participation, goal orientations, training habits, and coach utilization. Motivation was measured using the Motivation for Marathoners Scale (7 point Likert scale). General health orientation (M = 4.71± 1.06) and psychological coping (M = 4.71±1.03) were the two categories most endorsed whereas social motives were least endorsed (M = …

A Case Study Of The Self-Directed Learning Of Women Entrepreneurs In The First Four Years Of Business Ownership, Julie Carwile

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative case study, self-directed learning theory was used as the lens to explore experiences of nine women entrepreneurs during the first four years of business ownership as they sought to acquire skills necessary to run their businesses. Data were collected over six months through in-person 90-minute interviews and follow-up questions posed by telephone and email. Qualitative data software was used for coding and thematic analysis, resulting in five broad conclusions related to learning, with additional unanticipated findings. Study participants engaged in a variety of self-directed learning activities, mostly through trial and error experimentation, and possessed varying motivations for …

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Bluehow Poetry In Science Can Help Students Learn Something New, Kimberly Casselman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an attempt to examine how poetry integrated with science could assist eighth graders in the memorization of key science vocabulary words. Furthermore, it would investigate if student attitude, interest, and motivation would improve with the use of the poetry. Instruction was adjusted to implement poetry into astronomy lessons. Memorization activities such as poems, chanting, and repetition were used to help students remember the vocabulary and the definitions. Pre/post tests were used to interpret if the poetry did assist in the memorization of the astronomy vocabulary. Science interest surveys and science attitude surveys were used to interpret if …

The Relationship Between Motivation And Online Social Presence In An Online Class, Yedong Tao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of student motivation and perceived online social presence in an online course. Better understanding of the relationship between online social presence and motivation would assist researchers to identify and develop effective instructional strategies for the success of students' online learning experience. This study was conducted during the Fall 2007 semester at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. Data for this study were collected from participating students enrolled in three online sections of EME 2040, Introduction of Educational Technology. In this course, pre-service teachers learn …

An Examination Of The Factors Underlying The Motivation And Learning Strategies Of Generation 1.5 Korean American Students, Rosa Cho Stoffa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive research into student learning has established that the effective use of learning strategies will enable students to take responsibility for their own learning, enhance their motivation in the learning process, and improve their academic success (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2001). However, little research has investigated the learning strategies used by immigrant students and how these strategies relate to academic excellence. While survey instruments currently exist for assessing these constructs in the general population, the construct validity of theses scales has yet to be examined within immigrant populations.

The subjects who participated in this study were randomly selected from the Korean …

Growth Mindset As A Predictor Of Smoking Cessation, Vicki D. Johnson

ETD Archive

This study examines motivations to quit smoking within the theoretical context of self-theories (Dweck, 2000). It investigates whether self-theories play a significant predictive role in motivating adults to quit smoking. A convenience sample of 197 adult current smokers and ex-smokers in northeast Ohio completed on line or paper versions of the Smoking Questionnaire, an instrument which included the 6-item Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence, 3- items from the Self-Theory of Intelligence Self-Form for Adults, and 23 items constructed by the researcher. Descriptive analysis indicate that the sample was 66 female, 77 white, 83 college educated, and of varied ages and …

Factors Affecting Student Motivation Related To Enrollment And Retention In Music And Performing Ensembles Outside Of The School Environment, Craig T. Klonowski

ETD Archive

Despite extensive research regarding student motivation in performing ensembles, little is known about student motivation in ensembles outside of the school environment. The literature regarding motivation in school ensembles shows motivation comes from five main categories: parents and family, peers, directors, environment, and the students themselves. This study asks basic questions regarding motivation of students in a large community performing ensemble, and compares them to responses from the same students regarding their school ensemble experiences. The responses to the questionnaire suggest that motivating factors in community ensembles fall into the same basic categories, but have slightly different nuances based on …

Job Satisfaction Determinants Of Certificated Staff In The Xyz School District, Grant Edward Schmidt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Job satisfaction is closely related to motivation theory. Many factors influence human motivation. For example, employee performance is greatly influenced by the expectancy of what the job will provide, the employees attitude toward personal achievement and advancement, and their wish for harmony in the workplace (Bittel, 1990). The amount of opportunity people see in their jobs also has a direct relationship to their job performance (Hill, 1979). Motivation can be provided by allowing employees to participate in the goal-setting activities (Catt, 1989). Motivators, such as sick leave, medical/ dental plans, and holiday pay are best enjoyed by the employees when …

Motivation And Perceptions Of Learner-Centered Practices At A Military Service Academy, Joel Leonard Witzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering today's expeditionary warfare, it is essential the United States military service academies produce cadets and midshipmen who are intrinsically academically motivated, intellectually curious, and ready to meet the diversity of "publics and parliaments" they may influence during worldwide deployments (Scheffer, 2007). Research shows teachers' learner-centered practices that focus on students' needs positively influence college students' academic motivation. The purpose of this study was to measure cadets' levels of academic motivation and perceptions of learner-centered practices at the United States Air Force Academy.

This was a quantitative correlational study examining the relationship between cadets' perceptions of five learner-centered domains of …

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Interaction On Student Motivation And Achievement, Tisome Nugent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to determine the value and impact of student-teacher interactions in relation to student motivation and achievement. It was further intended that the results of this study would add to the body of knowledge and resources available to enhance the learning experience and influence student success. In order for this to happen, student and teacher perceptions of their interactions were analyzed, as well whether or not this interaction significantly impacted motivation and achievement. The results of this study provided strong arguments in favor of equipping teachers with the appropriate resources and assistance to appropriately meet …

Effects Of Instructor Immediacy And Student Need For Cognition On Student Motivation And Perceptions Of Learning, Sabrina Kalish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study built on previous literature linking instructor immediacy, student motivation, and student learning. The purpose of this research was to examine main and interaction effects of instructor immediacy and student trait motivation on student state motivation and cognitive learning. A main effect of instructor nonverbal immediacy on student state motivation and cognitive learning was found to be statistically significant. Further exploratory research did not yield statistical significance for a main effect of trait motivation, as measured by need for cognition, on student state motivation and cognitive learning, nor an interaction effect of immediacy and trait motivation on both state …

The Effects Of Naturally-Occurring Fatigue And Task Difficulty On Effort Related Cardiovascular Response, Jason Lagory

All ETDs from UAB

Wright's integrative analysis suggests that effort can be measured via cardiovascular (CV) response. In addition, the analysis breaks with tradition in suggesting that effort varies not with benefit alone, but also with the difficulty of the behavioral challenge at hand. Recent research has focused upon the effects of fatigue on effort related CV response, assuming that fatigue negatively affects perceived ability. Results have supported interactional predictions. Specifically, they have indicated higher levels of CV response among high- as compared to low fatigue participants when tasks were possible and worthwhile and the reverse response pattern when tasks were excessively difficult (given …

Role Of Assigned Team Goals In The Relationship Between Individual Difference Factors And Self-Set Goals In A Pre-Team Context, Anupama Narayan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of individual difference factors, i.e., core self evaluations, cognitive ability, and task specific self-efficacy, on self-set goals and whether those effects were moderated by an assigned team goal in a pre-team context. It was hypothesized that the relationship between individual difference factors and self-set goals for potential team members would be differentially affected by the difficulty of the assigned team goal. I assessed these relationships for individual performance and individual satisfaction. In addition, I examined whether gender, task type, and team composition interacted in their effects on self-set goals. …

A Critical Examination Into Motivation And Gender In Youth Physical Fitness Testing, Elizabeth A. Domangue

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fitness testing in physical education classes has emerged as an important component in efforts to assess and address health concerns related to children’s physical inactivity. To date, motivational aspects of fitness testing, especially in regard to students’ future intention to participate in fitness-related activities, have not been closely examined. Fitness testing practices have been identified as a dominant discourse in physical education that continue to separate girls’ and boys’ physicalities along gendered lines. This lack of understanding about the motivational implications of fitness testing programs, coupled with concerns related to the gendered nature of fitness testing, emphasize the significance of …

Self-Determination Theory In Motivation To Adopt Physical Activity In Older Adults: A Community Based Approach, Alastair Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia has an increasingly aging population with increasing levels of physical inactivity. The potential detrimental effects of these two factors on the health of the community highlight the need to investigate methods to increase physical activity in older Australian adults. The study reported in this thesis formed part of the PATH (Physical Activity Time for Health) Project, a community-based research trial that compared two strategies to increase physical activity in underactive, 60-80 year old men (n = 66) and women (n = 188). Twelve recreation centres were randomised to either a supervised group based walking intervention with behavioural change components, …

The Motivational Influence Of Dance Teachers On Elite Female Dancers, Shanna Burns

Digitized Theses

This research sought to establish the motivating factors that determined why elite-level adolescent female dancers continued to dance into their late teen years while others did not. The objective was to better understand the role dance teachers play in motivating students to continue dancing competitively. Sixty-five percent of participants completed a mixed-methods survey, and 12 participants were interviewed. Overall, the data revealed that teachers played an underlying role in dancers’ motivation to continue dancing. While teachers were not specifically ranked as the top motivator, it was evident that the results of this research indicated that teachers possess the motivational factors …