As mathematics teachers gain knowledge of what factors students perceive as motivating, they will be able to create a classroom environment that better increases motivation. Thus, the information gathered from this study will be useful and meaningful to teachers of mathematics and to leaders of mathematics departments in providing appropriate assistance and guidance to teachers in their quest for finding strategies that persuade students of mathematics to become life-long learners. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the nature of any significant differences in perceptions of motivation of high school studentsâ enrolled in Algebra I and their teacherâÂÂs insights of what students perceive as motivating factors. In addition, the significant difference in perception of motivation between females and males in these same classes was also examined. Nine teachers teaching Algebra I during the 2006 spring semester in a predominately Hispanic/Latino school district in a border town in south Texas participated. The participants, the aforementioned teachers and one hundred sixteen of their students, responded to the motivation section of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich, Smith, Garcia and McKeachie at the University of Michigan (1991). Data collected were analyzed and reported using confidence intervals, descriptive statistics and frequency data tables. Major research findings of this study show that high school Algebra I studentsâ perceptions of motivation in three subscales of the motivation section of the MSLQ (Intrinsic Goal Orientation, Task Value and Self Efficacy) are significantly different from their teachersâ insights of what motivates students in an Algebra I class. Results were examined to find the differences between studentsâ motivational beliefs and their teachersâ perceptions of motivating factors. In general, results indicate that teachersâ perceptions and studentsâ own beliefs of motivation do not coincide.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEXASAandM/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/4679 |
| Date | 25 April 2007 |
| Creators | Ruiz, Elsa Cantu |
| Contributors | Capraro, Robert M., Allen, Donald, Kulm, Gerald, Lira, Juan |
| Publisher | Texas A&M University |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | 1078404 bytes, electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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