In the present project racial differences in female achievement motivation and motivation to work were examined, and related this information to the theory that African American females, when compared to White females, are less likely to marry someone equal to themselves in the areas of education, employment, and earning potential because of an assumed shortage of suitable African-American males. It was hypothesized that African-American females would score higher on assessments of achievement motivation and motivation to work, and rate lower the likelihood of meeting and marrying a partner equal in education level, employment level, and earning potential than would White females. Data analysis supported all hypotheses. The results were discussed in the context of the female achievement motivation literature as well as the literature concerning female motivation to work.

To investigate the effects of attribution retraining under conditions of intermittent success and failure, 14 helpless subjects were given 15 days of treatment in one of two procedures. Except for the attribution of all failures to lack of effort in the attribution retraining condition, the two procedures were identical in all respects. After training, both groups showed significant and equivalent improvement in reactions to failure, suggesting that intermittent success and failure increase the persistence of helpless children, rather than attribution retraining as suggested by Dweck (1975). Recommendations included follow-up studies and exploration of the attributional patterns of children under conditions of intermittent success and failure.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

The American school system currently faces gaps in achievement between its low-income, minority students and their higher-income, white peers. These gaps exist both in academic and socioemotional skills, are present by kindergarten entry, and persist throughout students' school careers. One proposed strategy through which these gaps may be reduced is through the promotion of student motivation and engagement. In the primary and secondary school settings, these constructs are promoted through teachers' motivational support of students' psychological needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence. However, the development of these factors prior to kindergarten entry has not been as well studied. Data from 333 students and their 98 preschool classrooms were used to examine whether highly motivationally supportive preschool experiences can buffer the negative effects of risk in order to support the development of a high sense of motivation and engagement that is sustained across the transition to kindergarten. In terms of normative changes, results indicated that both engagement and disaffection declined across the kindergarten transition. High maternal education was a consistent predictor of increases in engagement and motivation and declines in disaffection across the kindergarten transition. While need support did not consistently buffer the loss of engagement or enhance declines in disaffection, it did seem particularly beneficial for boys, whose motivation and disaffection outcomes tended to improve after preschool experiences characterized by high warmth. Additionally, children's declines in frustration across the kindergarten transition were enhanced by well-structured preschool experiences. Details of analyses, results, strengths, limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 62-68). Also available in print.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of motivational forces in career stages in legendary table tennis players. Participants invited for this study were two highly recognized Swedish table tennis players who achieved major titles during their competitive career. The theoretical frameworks included the self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 1985, 2000), achievement goal theory (AGT; Nicholls, 1989), and the developmental model of transition faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). The study was based on in-depth narrative interviews on the field where the researcher stimulated participants to tell their stories in retrospect based on their perceptions of motivational drives across different stages. Results revealed that participants were (a) strongly driven by multiple personal goals (e.g., self-determined, winning major titles), (b) had high perception of ability (e.g., high task and high ego), (c) table tennis was central to their lives, and (d) they were surrounded by facilitative environment. Results are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks and previous research. / Syftet med föreliggande studien var att undersöka dynamiken i motivationsprosessen genom olika karriärövergångar hos legendariska bordtennisspelare. Två välkända svenska bordtennisspelare deltog i studien som har vunnit stora titlar under sina professionella karriärer. De teoretiska ramverk som användes var self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 1985, 2000), achievement goal theory (AGT; Nicholls, 1989) och developmental model of transition faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Studien var baserad på två djup-narrativa intervjuer där deltagarna stimulerades att i retrospekt berätta hur de upplevde dynamiken i deras motivation i olika karriärövergångar. Resultaten visade att deltagarna var (a) stärkt drivna av multipla personliga mål (själv-bestämd, vinna stora titlar), (b) hade hög upplevd förmåga (hög uppgift och hög prestationsmål), (c) bordtennis var central i deras liv, och (d) de var omringade av stödjande miljöer. De erhållna resultat diskuteras i relation till teoretiska ramverk och tidigare forskning.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the predictive influences of epistemological beliefs, achievement motivation, learning approaches on sixth grade students&rsquo / achievement in classification concepts. The study was carried out in the fall 2006-2007 semester. One thousand forty one 6th grade students from twenty five randomly selected elementary schools in &Ccedil / ankaya district of Ankara participated in this study. In this study Turkish version of the Learning Approach Questionnaire, Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire, Achievement Motivation Questionnaire and Classification Concept Test were used as measuring instruments to collect relevant data. Multiple Regression Correlation Analyses was computed in order to find out the contribution of students&rsquo / learning approaches, epistemological beliefs and achievement motivation to their achievement in classification concepts. The results revealed that these variables explaining 14% of the variation in students&rsquo / achievement in classification concepts. Stepwise multiple regression analyses was conducted in order to find out which variable best predicted students&rsquo / achievement in classification concepts. Students&rsquo / learning approaches were found to be the best predictor of achievement explaining 12% of the variance. The remaining 2% of variance was explained by epistemological beliefs of the students. Achievement motivation, however did not contribute to students&rsquo / achievement in classification concepts. Results also revealed significant positive correlations between students&rsquo / achievement in classification concepts, their learning goal orientations, epistemological beliefs and learning approaches. Students&rsquo / performance goal orientations, and self efficacy beliefs, however, were not found to be related to their achievement in classification concepts.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of thinking styles as it relates to style value and style malleability through examining the relationships between thinking styles, motivational orientations, and academic achievement in learning physics among secondary school students in Hong Kong. Specifically, the research aimed to determine whether or not teaching styles change students’ thinking styles, and if so, the association of these changes on students’ motivational orientations; and to determine the extent to which motivational orientations and thinking styles link academic achievement in physics. This quantitative research employed a quasi-experimental longitudinal design and was composed of one pilot study and one main study. The pilot study purposed to evaluate the two inventories used in the main study: the Motivational Orientation Scales in Learning Physics (MOSLP) and the Thinking Styles Inventory Revised II (TSI-R2). A total of 76 secondary school students participated in the pilot study. Results revealed that the MOSLP and the TSI-R2 were applicable to Hong Kong school students. The main study was an experimental study aimed at determining the impact of teaching styles on students’ thinking styles, motivational orientations, and academic achievement in physics. A total of six teachers and 449 secondary students constituted the experimental group, and five teachers and 347 students constituted the control group. The intervention, involved students in physics lessons instructed under Type I teaching styles, was implemented in each participating teacher’s school for one semester. Pre-and post-tests were conducted, in which students’ thinking styles and motivational orientations were measured by the TSI-R2 and the MOSLP respectively. Students’ physics examination results were also collected at the time of the post-test. A series of statistical analyses were conducted to reveal the effects of thinking styles on motivational orientations, to identify changes in students’ thinking styles, and to determine their relationships with academic achievement in both the experimental and control groups. Overall results demonstrated that Type I thinking styles were positively associated with task orientation and negatively connected with work avoidance orientation, thus which indicated adaptive value of Type I styles; Type II styles were not particularly associated with any of the motivational orientation scales, which suggested that they were value-differentiated; and Type III styles were found to be associated with ego orientation (in the pre-test), which suggested that they had less adaptive value. Moreover, students in the experimental group unexpectedly demonstrated a decreasing trend in their use of some Type I styles, some maladaptive Type II styles, and some Type III thinking styles for learning physics, whereas students in the control group decreased their use of some Type III thinking styles. Also, reduction in ego orientation among students in the experimental group was found to be greater than that of the control group. Finally, results demonstrated that teaching styles played a mediating role in boosting academic achievement. Students in the experiment and control groups studying in different forms modified either their thinking styles or motivational orientations. The magnitudes of these changes positively associated with students’ levels of achievement in physics. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

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The purpose of this study was to examine self-determination and achievement motivation as predictors of successful school performance for high school African American males enrolled in an urban Texas school district. The students (N = 108) were placed into two distinct groups: higher-performing and lower-performing African American males based upon the following: (a) Numerical average in core classes taken, (b) performance on the Texas state achievement test, (c) placement in academic classes and programs, and (d) attendance and discipline records. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in which African American males responded to The Needs Satisfaction Scale (Ilardi, Leone, Kasser, & Ryan, 1993; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Gagne, 2003) and The Student Opinion Survey/Education Survey (Murdock, 1993). Tests of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used in this study to measure the mean differences between the two groups in terms of self-determination (autonomy, relatedness, and competence); and achievement motivation (personal motivation, parent encouragement, teacher support, and peer support). The study found statistically significant differences in levels of self-determination and achievement motivation between the two groups. The qualitative segment was used to explore factors that lead to successful school performance for the African American males included in this study. Four themes emerged: (a) parental encouragement and expectations, (b) involvement in extracurricular activities, (c) personal motivation to achieve, and (d) relationships with significant adults. Recommendations are made to replicate this study in school with larger African American student enrollment and in schools with high achievement and high economic levels. Also, the study may be replicated with other ethnic groups who historically have experienced poor school performance. / text