Den aktuella motivationssänkningen för matematikämnet hos elever i Sverige är oroväckande eftersom forskning visar att motivation spelar en avgörande roll för skolprestation och välbefinnande. Studien bygger på självbestämmandeteorin som betonar att elevers motivation är avhängig deras känsla av autonomi i undervisningen. Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med exempel på hur lärare kan utforma autonomistödjande matematikundervisning som verkar motivationsfrämjande. I ett kvasiexperiment, med interventions- och kontrollgrupp, undersöks hur elevers inre motivation påverkas av lärare som instruerats i den autonomistödjande undervisningsstrategin ”meningsfulla motiveringar”. Effekten av studiens intervention mättes genom en enkät som besvarades av 90 lågstadieelever i årskurs två och tre. Resultaten indikerar att interventionen inte resulterar i ökad inre motivation hos eleverna. I diskussionen presenteras flera förklaringar till resultaten, inklusive att interventionen endast omfattade en strategi. Slutsatsen pekar på vikten av att kombinera flera autonomistödjande strategier, där lärare kan använda studiens exempel på meningsfulla motiveringar som inspiration för framtida undervisningspraxis.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether task- and relationship- oriented leadership behaviors have effects on subjective stress and intrinsic motivation among project members. A quantitative method employed to address the study's research questions, hypotheses, and aim in form of a cross-sectional study. Data collection was conducted through surveys. Existing measurement instruments were utilized in the study. The population consisted of 83 usable survey responses. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted, and the result showed that it is possible to predict subjective stress and intrinsic motivation among project members based on the indeoendent variables of task- and relationship-oriented leadership behaviors. Two multiple regression models were found to have unique significant contributions to subjective stress and intrinsic motivation. However, the coefficient for task- oriented leadership behavior in relation to intrincic motivation was deemed not significant in one of the regression analyses. The studys results go against some previous research and contribute to further research linked to motivation, which is discussed in the discussion section.

This thesis is composed of two essays that study behavioral economics to motivate health-promoting behaviors. The first paper, "Does Nutrition Education Reduce Delay Discounting?," studies delay discounting, or delayed gratification, which is an important research topic because it plays a role in producing numerous health outcomes, such as obesity. It is important to understand how the delay discounting process relates to unhealthy diets. People who discount the value of future outcomes prefer immediate rewards (e.g., enjoyment/taste) even though a larger reward from delaying exists (e.g., good health status). In this paper, we aim to provide evidence over whether nutrition education reduces delay discounting. Our analysis, therefore, provides guidance for designing more effective interventions to help increase overall health. The second paper, "Are We Reaching Those Most In Need?: Motivation Profiles and Willingness-to-Participate," explores the potentially negative psychological spillover effects (i.e., "crowding out" effects), which can complicate incentives' effectiveness because it can make targeted behavior (i.e., the aim to improve one's health) less desirable. To understand this "crowding out" effect, our paper examines how different types of motivations (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) influence people's willingness-to-participate in a weight control program with and without incentives. This analysis provides further guidance for designing more effective interventions by considering different recruitment strategies to target different individuals, which can minimize the negative spillover of incentives. / Master of Science / This thesis is composed of two essays that study the behavioral economics to motivate health-promoting behaviors. The first paper, “Does Nutrition Education Reduce Delay Discounting?,” studies delay discounting, or delayed gratification, which is an important research topic because it plays a role in producing numerous health outcomes, such as obesity. It is important to understand how the delay discounting process relates to unhealthy diets. People who discount the value of future outcomes prefer immediate rewards (e.g., enjoyment/taste) even though a larger reward from delaying exists (e.g., good health status). In this paper, we aim to provide evidence over whether nutrition education reduces delay discounting. Our analysis, therefore, provides guidance for designing more effective interventions to help increase overall health. The second paper, “Are We Reaching Those Most In Need?: Motivation Profiles and Willingness-to-Participate,” explores the potentially negative psychological spillover effects (i.e., ‘crowding out’ effects), which can complicate incentives’ effectiveness because it can make targeted behavior (i.e., the aim to improve one’s health) less desirable. To understand this ‘crowding out’ effect, our paper examines how different types of motivations (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) influence people’s willingness-to-participate in a weight control program with and without incentives. This analysis provides further guidance for designing more effective interventions by considering different recruitment strategies to target different individuals, which can minimize the negative spillover of incentives.

From the wave of policy reforms of the new Minister of Education and Human Resources for a "World Class Quality Education", stakeholders have been ascribing the poor quality of learner performance to a lack of motivated teachers. This study focuses on the factors that impact on teacher motivation in the Flacq district of Mauritius and on the role of the principal in enhancing teacher motivation. An empirical investigation based on qualitative research was conducted following the literature study on these two themes. Motivational factors pertain to the school-based personal and professional needs of the teacher. Due to centralised school governance and instructional leadership tasks being delegated to the School Management Team, principals are not effective teacher motivators. Recommendations relate to transformational, distributive and participatory leadership strategies for optimal instructional principalship. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational management)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship that exists between academic self-concept, motivation and academic achievement at the University of the Free State. The primary aim of this study was to determine if academic self-concept and motivation of quantity surveying students at the University of the Free State could predict their level of academic achievement. The sample was selected by means of convenience sampling. Relevant literature indicated that there are contrasting findings about whether a relationship exists between students’ academic self-concepts and motivation, and academic achievement. The empirical investigation revealed that there are only significant correlations between academic self-concept, motivation and academic achievement in some of the study year levels and not in all of them. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Adult education)

The central theme of the research is an investigation into what motivates FET phase learners to learn. All learners are interested in learning certain things however, learners interests often do not correspond with what teachers are required to teach. Teachers are therefore constantly searching for ways to motivate learners to learn. This challenge is not easy for teachers in a culturally homogenous classroom, but becomes even greater when the classes are comprised of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. So then how does a teacher motivate learners in general, and more specifically learners from different cultural orientations? This is a difficult question to answer but one that needs to be addressed considering the diversity of cultures found in the South African classroom. In this study an attempt is made to examine what motivates learners to learn, and the influence of culture on the motivation to learn of Further Education and Training (FET) phase learners in a multicultural classroom. Data on these two elements is collected through the use of structured questionnaires and focus group interviews and is analysed in order to answer the research question. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Existing scales were modified and factor-analysed through "prepilof' and pilot studies for exploring relations between academic motivation, achievement, and cognitive factors such as locus of control (LOC), attributions, perceived self-determination and ability. Distinct, conceptually meaningful factors emerged. Thirty-seven hypotheses were tested on Unisa students. Among notable findings were: • Internal LOC related to academic motivation, but treating LOC as a set of distinct factors rather than a bipolar dimension offered more insights (e.g. "Impotence" rather than other external LOC factors related negatively to · achievement). • Little was gained from categorising attributions according to Weiner's dimensions. • Intrinsic motivation and "identified regulation" related positively to motivation. • Students' (especially unsuccessful students') expectations of success and perceptions of their ability were over-estimated. • Different factors related to motivation and achievement in different cultural groups. • Although motivation and achievement are usually positively related, this did not apply to disadvantaged groups. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Contemporary education literature indicates that motivation can be a deciding factor in a student’s second language acquisition experience. The desire to learn more about the motivation of my own students in a second language learning setting sparked the onset of action research that led me to a better understanding of my subject area, myself as a professional, and most importantly, my students. My initial round of inquiry was a basic one from which the other branches of research evolved: finding out what students felt was motivational about my German class. Research, in each round, took place both through examining existing literature as well as through classroom based research focused on my students. The first round of action research led to the next research area pertinent to understanding and harnessing the power of motivation in my classroom: Using theory to re-shape practical classroom approaches in order to capitalize on motivational factors identified by students. As this round of action research took form, the need for further research became apparent: In order to truly understand what was happening in my German classroom concerning intrinsic student motivation, it was necessary to look more closely at why students were motivated by the factors they had indicated. As a classroom teacher, my initial goal was to optimize factors that I, as the classroom teacher, can control in order to make German language learning as motivational for students as possible. As Dörnyei says, (Dörnyei 2001 a, p. 2): “…99 percent of language learners who really want to learn a foreign language (i.e. who are really motivated) will be able to master a reasonable working knowledge of it as a minimum, regardless of their language aptitude.” Action research was the way for me to better understand a small slice of students’ motivational intricacies concerning German language learning - those which are based in my classroom itself and are under my control to influence. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies

近年來，大型資料庫的建制與分析逐漸成為一種教育研究趨勢，本研究即以PISA 2003資料庫為例，目的是建立影響數學成就的結構方程式模型。在評閱相關文獻後，研究者採用內在動機、工具性動機、數學焦慮、自我概念與數學成就等變項，探討之間的影響關係模型。此外，為使本研究所建立的模型具有模型穩定之證據，因此，將有效樣本隨機分割為建模樣本與驗證樣本，進行最終模型的交叉驗證。 據此，本研究首先使用描述性統計以瞭解香港學生的整體表現傾向，其次，透過探索性因素分析確立研究問卷的信效度，最後，以結構方程式模型建立模型並交叉驗證。資料蒐集對象為香港十五歲之在學學生，有效樣本達4,389位。 依據統計分析結果顯示，內在動機與工具性動機對數學成就沒有直接影響效果，但是內在動機與工具性動機透過數學焦慮及自我概念對數學成就產生間接影響，本研究歸納出七點結論茲分述如下： 1.工具性動機較內在動機更為強烈 2.數學焦慮在動機與數學成就間扮演中介變項之性質 3.自我概念在動機與數學成就間扮演中介角色 4.自我概念在數學焦慮與數學成就間扮演中介角色 5.在內在動機、工具性動機與數學焦慮中，工具性動機扮演負向壓抑變項角色 6.在內在動機、工具性動機與自我概念中，工具性動機扮演負向壓抑變項角色 最後，根據研究結果提出各項建議，以供教學實務上及未來研究參考。 / Recently, establishing and analyzing databases becomes a trend in the field of education research. This study took PISA 2003 database as an example to create a psychometric model of factors that influence mathematics achievement. Based on the literature review, the researcher decided to put influential factors, including intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, mathematics anxiety, self-concept, and mathematics achievement into the model. Afterwards, through cross-validation the present study had verified the model stability. In the aspect of statistic analysis, the descriptive static shows HK students’ general learning tendency. Moreover, the exploratory factor analysis confirmed the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. Lastly, the structural equation modeling(SEM) was used to set structural model. The valid samples were 4,389 15-year-old students. According to the results, intrinsic motivation and instrumental motivation had no direct effect on mathematics achievement and had indirect effect through mathematics anxiety and self-concept. The results were summarized as follows: 1.Students had more instrumental motivation than intrinsic one. 2.Mathematics anxiety was a mediator variable between motivations and mathematics achievement. 3.Self-concept was a mediator variable between intrinsic motivations and mathematics achievement. 4.Self-concept was a mediator variable between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. 5.Instrumental motivation was a negative suppressor variable among intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, and mathematics anxiety. 6.Instrumental motivation was a negative suppressor variable among intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, and self-concept. Finally, according to the findings, implications and suggestions for teaching of mathematics and future research were discussed.

本研究運用PISA 2003資料庫為例，說明數學焦慮之認知與情意，如何影響學生數學內在動機、自我概念與成就的機制。本研究的研究對象，為香港十五歲學生，並採取整列剔除法（listwise deletion）刪除作答不全的缺失值與極端值，共計取得有效樣本為4,397人，其中男生2,168位，女生2,229位。研究結果顯示：第一、數學焦慮之認知與情意模式獲得驗證；第二、數學焦慮之認知與情意除了直接影響數學成就之外，還能經由數學內在動機與自我概念，對數學成就產生間接影響。 / The purpose of the present study was to assess the influence of mathematics anxiety (including the cognitive and affective dimensions), mathematics intrinsic motivation, and mathematics self-concept on mathematics achievement. Participants were 4,397 9th-grade students from Hong Kong who attended PISA 2003 study. The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the theoretical distinction between cognitive and affective dimensions of mathematics anxiety. The analysis of structural equation modeling confirmed that the cognitive and affective dimensions of mathematics anxiety can predict mathematics achievement through the mediating effect of mathematics intrinsic motivation and mathematics self-concept.