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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
Motivational Decline And Recovery In Higher Education Stem Courses, Anna M. Young, Paul J. Wendel, Joan M. Esson, Kathryn M. Plank
Motivational Decline And Recovery In Higher Education Stem Courses, Anna M. Young, Paul J. Wendel, Joan M. Esson, Kathryn M. Plank
Education Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works
Decline in student motivation is a concern for STEM education, especially for underrepresented groups in the sciences. Using the Science Motivation Questionnaire II, 41 foundational STEM courses were surveyed at the beginning and end of each semester in an academic year at a small primarily undergraduate university. Significant pre- to post-semester declines were observed in each of five measured motivational factors (Intrinsic motivation, Career motivation, Self determination, Self-efficacy, and Grade motivation), with effect sizes ranging from 0.21 to 0.41. However, in the second semester pre-survey, four motivational factors rebounded, including three returning to initial levels, suggesting that the observed motivational …