The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an intervention â self-generated analogy instruction â on the situational interest (interest generated primarily by certain conditions, stimuli, and/or concrete objects in the environment that focus attention), individual interest (a personal form of interest that is specific to the individual, relatively stable and develops over time) and intrinsic motivation to learn (a drive to engage in the learning process or school-related activities for their own sake) of students who are at-risk of dropping out of high school. Survey research on high school dropouts identified dropouts' "dislike of school" as the most common reason attributed to their leaving school. In addition, qualitative studies examining reasons dropouts give for leaving traditional school settings, showed that students' dislike of school often translated into feelings of classroom boredom. In combating classroom boredom, dropout prevention researchers suggest that educators and researchers working with at-risk students try current, cognitively based methods of motivating students. In this study, self-generated analogy instruction based on Generative Learning Theory, was presumed to be a potentially effective classroom teaching tool that exhibits recommended characteristics for meeting the instructional needs of at-risk students. In this study self-generated analogy instruction was introduced within two intact high-school biology classrooms, and its effectiveness was investigated through a mixed method research design, comprised of both qualitative and quantitative techniques for collecting data. Results showed that the level of situational interest, individual interest and motivation to learn increased for most students and provide evidence to support interest and motivation theories which suggest that a positive relationship exists between the three variables. In addition, the study suggests that pre-service and veteran teachers receive training / professional development with respect to effective cognitive strategies that may promote at-risk students' situational interest, individual and motivation to learn in the classroom with the prospect of a decrease in potential dropout behavior. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning
Systems in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2005. / July 29, 2005. / Interest Research, Self-Generated Analogies, School Motivation to Learn, Dropout Prevention / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcy Driscoll, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Alysia Roehrig, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Sherry Southerland, Outside Committee Member; Akihito Kamata, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_175874 |
| Contributors | Bennett-Clarke, Ciana B. (authoraut), Driscoll, Marcy (professor co-directing dissertation), Roehrig, Alysia (professor co-directing dissertation), Southerland, Sherry (outside committee member), Kamata, Akihito (committee member), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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