This is a small, mixed-methods study focusing principally on the learning experience element of Dörnyei’s L2 motivational self system and its effect on students’ ideal and ought-to selves. The specific purpose of this investigation was to explore the L2 classroom environment and explore any potential relationship to the ideal and ought-to selves of the students. The secondary element of this study was to discover whether this potential relationship could impact teacher-training and how. The study was conducted in two English (L2) classes at a Swedish upper-secondary school. A quantitative questionnaire was compiled using features from previous studies in this field and questions designed for this particular study. Each student filled out a questionnaire individually. The results of these were then analysed to establish a picture of the students’ general level of motivation, their possible selves, their classroom environment, and how they felt the former was affected by the latter. Qualitative contributions to the investigations were made through interviews with individual students and observation of lessons. The results indicated that, for the majority, four components of the classroom environment impacted significantly on the ideal and ought-to selves of the students, namely, the teacher, the group cohesiveness and orientedness and finally, the facilities. However, one factor did not demonstrate such a noteworthy influence: course material. The implications of these findings are that course material may not be as critical as originally thought in influencing student motivation. Moreover, teacher-training could, in future, include training on ideal and ought-to selves in order to maximize the positive effect of the classroom environment, as a whole, on individuals. This could be achieved by, for example, adapting the classroom facilities to suit different student needs, forming groups based on common interests and allowing for extra-curricular activities to enhance group-cohesiveness.

Two studies based on one online randomized controlled trial examined the effects of sport gain-framed messages (Rothman & Salovey, 1997) and a sport possible self (Murru & Martin Ginis, 2010) protocol on indices of possible self activation and elaboration, sport intention, and sport activity. 244 non-sporting adults (M = 50.59, 40-59 yrs) completed baseline/screening measures (T1), a gain-framed experimental/control intervention one week later (T2), and follow-up measures (T3) four weeks after T2. Study 1 showed gain-framed participants most frequently attended to a health and fitness message, more frequently described a possible self, and elaborated more on their possible selves (especially about delaying aging and developing friendships through sport). Study 2 indicated that gain-framed individuals requested more sport newsletters and registered for more sport programs. From T1 to T2, gain-framed conditions facilitated increased intentions for those with low approach motivation, whereas control conditions improved intentions for individuals with high approach motivation.

abstract: The United States accounts for only 4% of the world’s female population, but it is home to more than 30% of the world’s incarcerated women, the majority of whom will eventually attempt a successful reentry into society. Almost half of the incarcerated women in the United States have not obtained a high school diploma or equivalency, and only 31% have attempted some college, compared to 58% among the general public (Ewert & Wildhagen, 2011). There is ample evidence of the impact of a post-secondary degree on reducing recidivism and increasing reentry success. However, the Arizona Department of Corrections reports that of the more than 40,000 people incarcerated in November of 2019, only 5,333, or 12.5%, were involved in any type of educational programming while incarcerated (2019). Few studies have looked closely at the barriers to higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals, and even fewer have focused on women. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to examine the educational experiences of formerly incarcerated women through the lenses of critical social theory (Freeman & Vasconcelos, 2010; Freire, 1970) and possible selves theory (Markus & Nurius, 1986) in an effort to more fully understand low educational attainment in this population and use this knowledge to develop an effective, participant-informed intervention and provide recommendations for university outreach programs. Study participants were formerly incarcerated women and individuals who work with this population. Data were collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews and materials created during the College After Prison Workshop which was developed for this project. Interviews revealed that the women in this study crave a sense of belonging, feel regret over their lost possible selves, experience a fear of standing still or going backward, and have a strong desire to help others. Findings suggest that colleges and universities can support formerly incarcerated women in the post-secondary system by curating a community of scholars and demonstrating a clear path forward for formerly incarcerated women by reducing systemic barriers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2020

This study focused on investigating students’ complex L2 motivational systems in an equally complex educational environment. It analyzed students’ motivation while learning Spanish in a Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) course taught in a student-centered technology-enhanced classroom at a university in the Midwest. The innovative curriculum for the course emphasized student interaction, and revolved around the development of a collaborative entrepreneurial wiki project. This study addressed the expanding call for considering motivation as multidimensional, changing and contextualized (Crookes & Schmidt, 2006; Dörnyei, MacIntyre, & Henry, 2015) by steering away from simplistic cause–effect quantitative paradigms. It addressed the topic through the lens of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) and utilized two contemporary L2 motivation frameworks for making sense of the data: the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009), and Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) (Muir & Dörnyei, 2013; Dörnyei, Ibrahim, & Muir 2015). It adopted in-depth qualitative case study methodology to answer the following research questions: 1. How can students' L2 motivations be described while learning Business Spanish through an innovative curriculum? 2. What are the factors affecting students’ L2 motivations throughout the course? Four students enrolled in this class during the Fall 2015 were randomly selected as the participants for this study. Data were collected throughout the academic semester and included: 1) four in-depth interviews with each student; 2) the work students developed collaboratively on the wiki; 3) course evaluations submitted to the instructor of the course; 4) students’ academic records and 5) classroom observations of the times students worked on the wiki. Findings revealed that the self system interacted with the motivational system of students in this class, and was determinant in guiding their motivational trajectories throughout the semester. The self system was also instrumental in shaping experiences students had related to the elements of the immediate L2 learning context. Moreover, factors stemming from the immediate L2 context that fulfilled students’ self-concordant goals were also instrumental in keeping students engaged with the process of learning; and completing the wiki project became a shared goal for students in each group. These factors led students to experience a group motivational wave — with characteristics of group DMCs — as they became more and more involved with the wiki project for the course. In terms of the work completed, students’ motivations translated into detailed wiki projects that incorporated more content than specified by the project’s guidelines and requirements. Finally, the study also generated insights into areas in which the L2MSS and DMCs could be expanded or refined in order to better account for students’ complex motivational trajectories.

Beginner teachers’ identities are formed by past school experiences, the ideas, and approaches promoted by their teacher education programmes and an ideal of teachers they hope to become (Beauchamp and Thomas, 2011; Anspal, Eisenschmidt and Löfström, 2012). The focus of this study was to understand the possible influence of two different teacher education programmes on beginner teacher identity and the forming thereof during the early years of teaching. This study was underpinned by an Interpretivist epistemological paradigm, in line with the reiterative process of understanding which marks the fluid progressions of beginner teachers’ identities. The conceptual lens employed in this study consisted of the Possible Selves Theory (Markus and Nurius, 1986), combined with the metaphorical use of “threads”. This study employed a qualitative methodological paradigm, with a comparative case study as research design (Zartman and Goodrick, 2005). Participants were selected by purposive sampling and involved six beginner teachers within their first three years of teaching; three from each teacher education programme (full-time and part-time). Selection criteria stipulated participants had to be within their first three years of teaching, have graduated from either a full-time or part-time teacher education programme, and that part-time participants had to be employed full-time at a school while studying to be selected. Data collection methods comprised of semi-structured interviews, researcher’s journal and field notes. The process of data analysis was guided by thematic content analysis. Findings from this study attest that beginner teacher identities are unstable; classroom reality differs vastly from teacher education programme curricula; and teaching practice plays a significant role in the preparation of student teachers. The main finding of this study was that full-time participants only comprehended the reality of teaching once full-time employment commenced, compared to part-time participants who realised the realities of teaching considerably earlier. Recommendations were made regarding practice, policy, and future research. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Följande studie har haft som syfte att undersöka och analysera vilket audiovisuellt material lärare i moderna språk använder i sin undervisning och i vilken utsträckning de tar till varaden variationsrika mängd material som finns tillänglig idag via det digitaliserade klassrummet. Forskningsfrågorna var: Vilka typer av audiovisuellt material erbjuds elever som läser spanska och tyska som moderna språk på högstadiet? och Vilka meningserbjudanden innehåller det audiovisuella materialet som lärarna använder? Materialet för undersökningen har samlats in med hjälp av ett frågeformulär, där lärare i spanska och tyska på en specifik högstadieskola i Skåne har lämnat uppgifter om allt audiovisuellt material som de visar i sin undervisning. Materialet har sedan granskats och analyserats utifrån utvalda teman och med hjälp av innehållsanalys, multimodal teori och begreppetpossible selves från Dörnyeis modell L2 Motivational Self System. Resultatet visar att de typer av audiovisuellt material som erbjuds eleverna består av undervisningsanpassat material producerat av UR, youtube-klipp riktade mot språkinlärare, fiktion i olika format (långfilm,kortfilm och tv-serie), dokumentärfilm och youtube-klipp som inte är riktade motspråkinlärare, det senare i liten omfattning. Vidare gav analysen upphov till tre kategorier av meningserbjudanden: Träning av språkliga strukturer och förmågor, Kunskap om målspråksländer, dess kultur och levnadssätt, samt Erbjuden dialog med språkinläraren. Den första kategorin återfinns främst i det undervisningsanspassade materialet, vilket är den materialtyp som lärararna använder sig mest av. Den andra kategorin av meningerbjudande återfinns främst i det fiktionsbaserade materialet vilket lärarna väljer att vänta med till desenare årskurserna. Den tredje kategorin återfinns både i det undervisningsanpassade materialet och det fiktionsbaserade materialet, det förra på ett ytligt plan och det senare på ett potentiellt djupare plan.

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This is a qualitative study of women whose children are or have been enrolled in a Head Start program in the midwest. Head Start is an educational program designed to provide a wide range of services to disadvantaged children and their families. Part of the program’s goals is to encourage parental participation in order to provide low-income parents a possibility of enriching their lives and empowering themselves through education. Using symbolic interaction as the initial theoretical perspective, I examine the experiences of mothers and how their involvement in the Head Start program has impacted their lives. Through interviews and observation, I investigate how Head Start as a formal organization designed to be part of the solution to the officially defined social problem of poverty affects the lives of Head Start mothers. As a former Head Start mother, I use my experiences as the starting point for the study. From the mothers' accounts of their experiences with Head Start, I found several factors which may lead to changes in self-concepts and personal empowerment. The women identified "mother" as a very important self. Head Start is able to provide an arena where the women can see their self as mother in a positive light. Parental involvement in the program is both expected and appreciated. The mothers indicated that through their work as volunteers, they feel important and needed for the program's operation and feel good about the things they do in Head Start. Among the factors identified which may lead to changes in self, empowerment, and self-concepts were the Federal mandate calling for maximum feasible participation of the parents, the transformation of clients into volunteers, the appreciation and encouragement shown to the mothers, the acknowledgement of the parents as primary educators of their children, and their peer relationship with the Head Start staff. Through participation in various Head Start activities, the women reported positive changes in their "selves." / Ph. D.

South Africa has been going through severe social changes over the past two decades. In light of these changes the present study aimed to understand adolescents’ expectations of their personal future. Based on the Theory of Possible Selves (Markus & Nurius, 1986) the present research addressed the overall question whether adolescents’ personal future plans incorporate the views they share about the present and the future of their social context. Social context was not only limited to factors such as gender, ethnicity and school environment, but also included both the daily lived experiences of inequality, as is the case in South Africa, and the projected social context of the future. A total of 631 pupils from four Gauteng high schools took part in this cross sectional study. The results support the hypotheses especially within the possible selves’ domain of academic achievement. The interrelatedness between possible selves and shared beliefs about the future of South Africa could, however, not be demonstrated. / Grow Your Own Timber Programme of the University of South Africa / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology (Research Consultation))