Education Commons^™

Academic Self-Concept And Master Adaptive Learning In First Year Medical Students: A Validation And Scale Construction Study, Jk Stringer Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Students’ academic self-concepts (ASC) and their orientation towards self-regulated learning are important elements of success. Despite this fact, little work has been conducted exploring these areas medical students. Given the shifting priorities of medical education toward competency-based education and self-directed learning, the goals of this study were to validate an existing measure of ASC and to improve our measurement capabilities for understanding the Master Adaptive Learner (MAL). Evidence for validity and scale reliability was collected for the ASCS with this novel population and a range of motivational and self-regulative variables (Goal orientation, academic emotion regulation, and lifelong learning) were analyzed …

Academic Motivation Profiles Of 10th Grade Students: Exploring A Relationship With Socioeconomic Level Using A Person Oriented Approach, Sandra Lynn Rogelberg

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation is an important predictor of educational success, as is socioeconomic status. This study used Expectancy Value Theory (EVT) and a person oriented approach as the framework to explore how motivation profiles may be related to context, namely socioeconomic status (SES), and the roles these profiles have in predicting education outcomes. Five motivation variables: math self-efficacy, reading self-efficacy, control expectation, action control, and utility value (instrumentation motivation) were used in latent profile analysis to determine four latent motivation profiles from a national sample of 10,981 10th grade students using ELS:2002 data. Family income and education level (SES) were considered a …

Students’ Perception Of The Self-Assessment Process In High School Physical Education, Caitlan Peyton

Theses and Dissertations

According to SHAPE America’s Executive Report (2016), the goal of physical education is to address the needs of the whole child, by helping students exercise both their bodies and minds, ultimately impacting all aspects of health. Within education, students are becoming significantly and detrimentally disengaged, specifically within the assessment process. An implicit aim of education is to enable students to become better judges of their own work by engaging in self-assessment. The purpose of this study was to understand students’ perception of the self-assessment process in physical education. Qualitative data was collected using a questionnaire consisting of items relating to …

Sports Involvement And Academic Functioning In College Students, Mikala Connery

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine positive academic behaviors between college student athletes and non-athletes. Over 460,000 students participate in college sports yearly (NCAA, 2016). Early research shows sports involvement has a negative impact on academic achievement; however, current research contradicts those findings. Sports has become a popular extracurricular activity, so it is important to determine the actual relationship between sports involvement and academic functioning. This study examined that relationship by comparing grade point averages, academic self-efficacy, and motivation between student athletes and student non-athletes in a northeast university. An online self-reporting survey was administered to gather the …

The Power Of Performance: Using Songs And Poetry To Motivate English Language Learners To Read In A Third Grade Classroom, Dana Nelson Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out more about what motivates students to read, and how they can experience success in reading. This study aimed to learn more about this topic by investigating how using poetry and songs during reading instruction in a third grade classroom would impact English Language Learners' attitude and motivation for reading. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, reading assessments, and observations, and I was able to determine how both the students' reading fluency and over reading achievement was effected by singing and reciting poetry. All students showed different levels of growth in the …

Independent Reading: The Power Of Self-Selection And Cafe Discussions In A Seventh Grade Classroom, Ashley Lauren Merkler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine middle school students' motivation to read. The goal was to see what happens to seventh grade students' motivation to read independently when given the opportunity to self-select and discuss books in a classroom setting that mimics a real-world cafe. Motivation profiles, interest surveys, reflections, and student work were all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how students viewed themselves as readers and their desire to read independently for leisure. The implications for teaching in a seventh grade classroom are discussed. A complete data analysis provided the major assertions and …

One In Eight: Deciding To Pursue A College-Going Possible Self In A High-Poverty High School, David B. Naff

Theses and Dissertations

There is considerable research evidence suggesting that low-income, racial minority students value education and aspire for postsecondary educational attainment (Bloom, 2007; Destin & Oyserman, 2009; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002). However, their performance in school often does not align with those values and ambitions, as these students tend to underachieve in comparison with their higher-income, non-minority peers (Reardon, 2011), with particular gaps found in those attending schools of concentrated poverty (Rowan, 2011). This gap between educational ambition and attainment suggests that the experience of living and going to school in a high-poverty context could be related to the motivational processes driving …

The Effect Of Teachers’ Instructional Style On The Motivation And Attitudes Of At-Risk Science Students Attending Alternative Education Programs, Michiko B. Mcclary

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a steady improvement in overall graduation rates since the 1960s, many students in the United States continue to leave school without a diploma (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Moore, & Fox, 2010). In an effort to educate children who present increased risks for dropping out of school, alternative schools are mandated by all states. Typically, high-risk youth who attend these types of programs have been exposed to negative social and environmental risk factors throughout their lives stemming from problems associated with poverty, family adversity, inadequate parental monitoring, and/or physical and emotional trauma (Guerin & Denti, 1999; Mclntyre, 1993; Waldie & Spreen, 1993). …

The Effects Of A Summer Reading Program On Reading Achievement And Reading Motivation, Marcia Seawright

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that children who read books often, both in and out of school, are likely to develop better reading skills than children who have fewer opportunities to read. (Allington, 2012). While many school districts are successfully implementing various opportunities to support students’ reading development during the academic year, problems arise when students are away from school during the summer months. Studies also show that students who read below grade level at the end of third grade are six times more likely to eventually leave school without a high school diploma (National Research Council, 1998). The purpose of this combined …

The Response Of Ells To Task-Based Instruction Within An Inclusion Classroom, Sarah E. Bularzik

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes the influence of task-based instruction on English Language Learner (ELL) motivation in a seventh grade inclusion classroom. This research study was grounded in a theoretical framework that involved inclusion education, ELLs, task-based instruction (Willis, 1996), and the ARCS Model of Motivation (Keller, 2008). This action research study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods design to explore the following research question: What is the influence of task-based instruction on ELL student motivation in a grade seven English Language Arts (ELA) inclusion classroom? The participants in this study included 5 ELL students and 10 Native English Speakers …

Motivation Towards Success: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study Illustrating The Differences In Motivating Factors In Achievement Between Low Ses High Achieving And Low Achieving African American High School Females, Ashanti C. Friels

Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have made attempts to explain the effects of poverty on student achievement. Many have set out to explore methods for better helping students with limited resources succeed academically, thus bridging the achievement gap between these students and their financially stable counterparts. The ultimate combination of poverty and race/ethnicity define major sources of disadvantage in educational outcomes (Maruyama, 2003). Viewing this from a racial standpoint places African American students at the receiving end of low achievement as a result of low socioeconomic status.

The missing thread that could potentially pull this together exists among the population of impoverished …

What Motivates Reluctant Male Readers?, Cheryl Ann Tartaglione

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to better understand the role of reading motivation in a group of students at the Thomas E. Bowe School in southern New Jersey. I wanted to what motivates this group of boys to read and how typical they might be to other reluctant male readers. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as surveys, student interviews, interactive graphic organizers and a teacher interview were used. Upon analyzing the data, motivation for reading was poor. However, student book choice and commonalities in genre selection were consistent with current research. Struggling male readers look for teacher input and …

Why Are Students Doing Research? Examining The Motivation Of Students Involved In Undergraduate Research Programs, Andrew Layne Mcdevitt

Theses and Dissertations

Use of self-determination theory (SDT) within the science classroom focuses primarily on ways to integrate intrinsic motivation into students' identity. Experiential learning plays a large role in promoting learning by shaping students' interests, identity, and intrinsic aspirations. This phenomenological research study sought to understand how experiential learning experiences helped influence career aspirations of graduate students within ecological disciplines. By determining how their experiences met three basic psychological needs outlined by SDT (competence, autonomy, and relatedness), we were able to examine which regulators drove motivation.

In the qualitative pilot study, participants developed a genuine enjoyment and appreciation for their discipline as …

Using Literature Circles To Increase Reading Comprehension And Student Motivation, Michelle Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

Many educators arrange students in guided reading groups based on their reading lexile. Usually the books selected for guided reading are from a basal reading series and are used to teach different reading components and strategies. However, the books don’t always reflect student cultures, making it difficult for students to hold discussions and make connections. Oftentimes, students are unmotivated to read the assigned books and rarely engage in discussions. Based on research conducted by Daniels (2006), when kids are engaged in well-structured book clubs their comprehension and their attitude towards reading both improve. With ongoing changes in education, educators must …

Empirical Connections Between The Construct Of Value, The Quality Of Stability, And The Construct Of Regret, William Samuel Morris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The term value is a psychological construct frequently used in the social sciences. This research addresses the issue of stability of ratings of perceived value of participants for monetary, tangible, and intangible items that cross contexts. Also elucidated is the relationship of value to regret. Hypothesis one stated that value would be stable across time and different rating conditions. Forty-four participants rated the value of 72 stimulus items at two time points and in different contexts. Paired samples t-tests indicated 28 participants had no statistical difference in scores. Twenty-eight scores out of 44, when applied to a binomial test, indicates …

Teacher Participation And Motivation Inprofessional Development, Krystal A. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Although professional development is accepted as important for making educational improvements, some have been unsuccessful due to how the teachers choose to participate, and the lack of motivation in teachers to attend or implement the suggested changes. A case study of secondary mathematics teachers in a required professional development is used to look at teachers' motivation and participation during the professional development. This study compared mathematics teachers' motivation to attend with ways of participating in order to determine how these influence a teacher's intent to change. It was found that certain aspects of motivation and participation does influence a teacher's …

An Examination Of Relationship Factors Contributing To Student Persistence In Ing Run For Something Better, Brice Leon Sampson Cockfield

Theses and Dissertations

There is sufficient empirical evidence that children are more unfit now than ever before in the history of the United States. Defeating childhood obesity is a critical agenda issue for the First Lady Michelle Obama as the medical community and the United States at large continually cite research that obesity, poor nutrition, and low physical activity may affect children’s cognitive and physical outcomes. Much of the research in this area is quantifiable and measurable through body mass index, the number of repetitions of certain exercises, and physical stamina. As schools search for solutions to address this epidemic, school nutrition and …

Becoming An Altruistic Learner, Aaron W. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

This master’s thesis is a qualitative research project that explored the transformation of multiple individuals who initially learned for self-interested purposes, but later had a shift in their desire to learn so as to benefit others. The author collected rich narratives that described this phenomenon and provided insight into the following question: what is the experience of a learner who transitions from learning out of self-interest to learning out of altruistic purposes? The author found the following five major themes across six participants as they transitioned to more altruistic learning: humility, self-efficacy, resources, success and agency. These themes give insight …

Self-Regulated Learning (Srl) Microanalysis For Mathematical Problem Solving: A Comparison Of A Srl Event Measure, Questionnaires, And A Teacher Rating Scale, Gregory Lee Callan

Theses and Dissertations

The current dissertation examined the validity of a context-specific assessment tool, called Self-regulated learning (SRL) microanalysis, for measuring self-regulated learning (SRL) during mathematical problem solving. SRL microanalysis is a structured interview that entails assessing respondents' regulatory processes as they engage with a task of interest.

Participants for this dissertation consisted of 83 eighth grade students attending a large urban school district in Midwestern USA. Students were administered the SRL microanalytic interview while completing a set of mathematical word problems to provide a measure of their real-time thoughts and regulatory behaviors. The SRL microanalytic interview targeted the SRL processes of goal-setting, …

Cultural Identity And Heritage Language Learners, Lydia Reitz

Theses and Dissertations

Heritage language learners (HLLs) in college are studied more than other groups of students with differences, and they are becoming more prevalent in the foreign language (FL) classroom. For the purpose of this study, HLL is defined as; an individual who has parents from a Spanish-speaking country, but was born in the United States and has an almost complete speaking proficiency and any range of grammatical dominance of Spanish (Valdés 2001). This definition eliminates those students who were born in Spanish-speaking countries and those who have little to no dominance of either speaking proficiency and grammatical dominance of the language. …

Elementary Teachers' Achievement Goal Orientations In A High-Stakes Accountability Context: A Validation Study, Amanda Turner

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated teacher motivation in a high-stakes accountability context. Specifically, this study examines elementary teachers' achievement goal orientations, self-efficacy for teaching, and perceptions of help-seeking in the context of high-stakes testing and school accountability under No Child Left Behind and an Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver. Butler's (2007) teacher achievement goal orientation framework provided the theoretical basis of the present study; high-stakes tests and school accountability status were thought to impact teachers’ achievement goal orientations. Additionally, teachers' achievement goal orientations were thought to impact teaching self-efficacy and perceptions of help-seeking. The sample included 381 elementary school teachers. …

Relationships Between Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Mindsets, Attributions, And Learning Strategies: An Exploratory Study, Christopher Lackey

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation, self-efficacy, beliefs about intelligence, and attributions about academic performance all play important roles in student success. To determine the relationships between these factors and the influence of demographics upon them, an online quantitative survey was taken of college students measuring their self-perceptions of these factors. The survey was comprised of items from three existing surveys: the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale, and the Revised Causal Dimension Scale. First- and second-year students, generally at the highest risk of attrition, were targeted in order to explore whether these factors could shed light on persistence. …

Generational Differences In Motivation To Attend College, John Michael Cote

Theses and Dissertations

The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report indicating that the amount of full-time students attending college has increased by 45 percent over the past ten years. While many reasons assist in explaining this increase in college attendance, this study explored the differences in motivations for attending college amongst generations. This quantitative study used secondary data collected by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman survey to explore the differences in reasons for attending college amongst the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial generations and predict reasons that may be important to future generations of college students. These …

Voices Of Summer: Interviews With Middle School Students Repeating Academic Courses In Summer School, James Frye

Theses and Dissertations

As the needs of society changed, states faced increasing pressure from the federal government to raise educational standards. States adopted rigorous standards, however many students failed to meet defined proficiency levels, necessitating summer school attendance or grade retention. Factors associated with academic failure have been extensively documented in the academic literature. The factors identified in the research can be organized into six categories, including motivation, age and ability, withdrawal from school, parents and guardians, school practices, and teacher practices. The purpose of the current study was to explore middle school students’ perceptions of factors which contributed to the academic outcomes …

Turning Points: Stories Of How Students Get Beyond Antipathy Toward An Academic Course, Cheryl Lynn Morse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the narratives of 10 students who began an academic course with strong negative attitudes but finished the course with strong positive attitudes. In the beginning of the course, each student exhibited one of these three tendencies: apathetic, compliant, or disillusioned; however, by the end of the course, they exhibited a transformed disposition. This study attempts to answer the question of what the turning points were for their transformation and how they made the change. The findings of this study were that regardless of individual tendencies, the ability to exercise agency was …

Contextualized Motivation Theory (Cmt): Intellectual Passion, Mathematical Need, Social Responsibility, And Personal Agency In Learning Mathematics, Janelle Marie Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Student motivation has long been a concern of mathematics educators. Here, I characterize motivation, defined as an individual's desire to act in particular ways, through analysis of students' extended, collaborative problem solving efforts. Grounded in a longitudinal research project in calculus learning and teaching, Contextualized Motivation Theory (CMT) offers a means for understanding the complexities of student motivations in mathematics learning. Students in this study chose to act upon various intellectual-mathematical motivations and social-personal motivations, existing simultaneously, within a supporting "web" of motivations. Students exhibited intellectual passion in persisting beyond obtaining correct answers to build understandings of mathematical ideas. CMT …

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 …

Evaluating The Influence Of Past Gaming Experience On Learner Preferences And Motivation To Learn In A Military Training Environment, Steven D. Yelverton

Theses and Dissertations

Millennial generation recruits are entering the Air Force and with them come their new attitudes and expectations. As a result, the leadership of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) expressed a need for information on how to effectively train this new generation of recruits in their 2008 whitepaper. The purpose of this thesis was to begin to address this requirement by investigating the influence video gaming has on the learning preferences of trainees undergoing initial skills training at the 82nd Training Wing, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. A survey was administered and data was collected from 866 trainees. The …