Achievement Related Motives In Children

Examines the conditions under which motives to achieve are fostered in children. The papers included in this volume reflect the major traditions of research in the field and bring together a set of studies for achieving a better understanding of the ways in which achievement-related personality characteristics develop and function in evaluative or competitive situations.

This book discusses research and theory on how motivation changes as children progress through school, gender differences in motivation, and motivational differences as an aspect of ethnicity. Motivation is discussed within the context of school achievement as well as athletic and musical performance. Key Features* Coverage of the major theories and constructs in the motivation field* Focus on developmental issues across the elementary and secondary school period* Discussion of instructional and theoretical issues regarding motivation* Consideration of gender and ethnic differences in motivation

This book started as a symposium on Achievement Motiva tion at the 1978 American Educational Research Association Convention. The participants in that symposium were Jack Atkinson, Martin Maehr, Dick De Charms, Joel Raynor, and Dave Hunt. The subsequent response to that symposium indicated a "coming of age" for motivation theory in terms of education. Soon afterward, at a Motivation in Education Conference at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, it became apparent that due to this emergence of motivation what was needed was a comprehensive perspective as to the state of the art of achievement theory. Achievement theory had by now well surpassed its beginnings in the 1950s and 1960s and was ready for a composite presentation and profile of the recent research and theories of motivation. Thus, this volume was born. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each contribu tor to this book as well as Robert L. Linn who critically reviewed several of the manuscripts. Thanks are also due to my former graduate advisors, Martin L. Maehr, Maurice Tatsuoka, and Harry Triandis, for the viewpoints given me in graduate school education which I hope have benefitted this under taking. Joyce Fitch did a splendid joh typing many of these chapters and special gratitude should be given to Judy Cadle of Professional Services, Inc. for the composition and proofing of this book.

Motivation to learn plays a critical role in students' academic success. This dissertation reports five experiments (N = 250) that increase children's motivation (specifically, challenge seeking and persistence) through storybooks. The first two studies examined how manipulating the similarity between the main character of a story and the participating child affected preschoolers' (Study 1) and kindergarteners' (Study 2) motivation as assessed by the choice of and persistence on challenging puzzles. Study 2 also compared effects for struggling versus non-struggling students. Study 3 examined whether persuasion would increase challenge seeking, when children convince someone else of the value of taking on challenges and persisting. Study 4 examined effects over time, and found that children showed a robust boost in challenge seeking two weeks later, especially those who were reminded of the original book. Study 5 examined whether the effects could be due to a particular aspect of the books, process praise, which sends a message that effort and persistence are effective and valued. Increasing children's motivation at a young age may set the stage for future academic achievement, creating a cycle of positive motivation and academic success.

Achievement and Motivation was originally published in 1993. It provides a comprehensive review of research conducted on the topic in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most particularly, it focuses on the research of those in the field who tackle the issue from a social-developmental perspective.

This volume links theoretical and instructional approaches on how reading is motivated and assessed, and examines the interrelationship between reading motivation and achievement among boys and girls in culturally and geographically different settings. Much of the research on children’s reading has focused on cognitive processes; however, reading is an activity that also requires interest and motivation. These attitudes are generally defined as readers’ affect toward reading and their consequence is that children with more positive attitudes are more motivated to read. Taking into account the variability that exists within the notion of gender and age, this volume aims to examine and scrutinize previous research on the topic, as well as test theories on how the different dimensions of reading motivation vary with gender, in relation to cultural issues, motivational constructs, such as engagement and classroom climate, the role of emotions, interests and attitudes towards reading, among others. The book will be of interest to researchers, educators, graduate students, and other professionals working in the area of literacy, reading motivation, reading achievement and gender differences.

Sample used in the study drawn from selected secondary schools in Assam.