Motivation Profile

"Motivational science has advanced tremendously in the last decade. However, it is now clear that future progress is going to be stalled by the extent of disagreement among motivation scientists to some basic, yet controversial, questions. To help move motivation science toward greater coherence, we decided to recruit prominent scholars to voice their contrasting perspectives. Such debate is not only interesting, but it also makes future research, discoveries, collaborations, and applications more fruitful. It is in this spirit that we put together a volume to addresses those controversies that are most likely to provide insight"--

This edited work presents a collection of papers on motivation research in education around the globe. Pursuing a uniquely international approach, it also features selected research studies conducted in Singapore under the auspices of the Motivation in Educational Research Lab, National Institute of Education, Singapore. A total of 15 chapters include some of the latest findings on theory and practical applications alike, prepared by internationally respected researchers in the field of motivation research in education. Each author provides his/her perspective and practical strategies on how to maximize motivation in the classroom. Individual chapters focus on theoretical and practical considerations, parental involvement, teachers’ motivation, ways to create a self-motivating classroom, use of ICT, and nurturing a passion for learning. The book will appeal to several different audiences: firstly, policymakers in education, school leaders and teachers will find it a valuable resource. Secondly, it offers a helpful guide for researchers and teacher educators in pre-service and postgraduate teacher education programmes. And thirdly, parents who want to help their children pursue lifelong learning will benefit from reading this book.

In middle schools today, teachers meet many challenges. The research question addressed in this dissertation was: What are the effects of instructional technology on motivation, attitudes and behavior of at-risk learners in the middle school general music classroom? The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of instructional technology, specifically digital piano keyboards and computers, in the middle school general music program would have a positive effect on the motivation, attitudes and behaviors of at-risk learners. To this end, a study was conducted in which at-risk learners received instruction delivered through a higher concentration of technology. Students completed a pretest and a posttest consisting of the Motivation Achievement Profile, audiation/listening and audiation/reading scales of Level One of the Iowa Tests of Music Literacy and the Middle School Music Attitude Scale. The experimental group received music instruction through a higher concentration of technology while the comparison group participated in an equally desirable music program. Data was analyzed using an analysis of covariance, in which the posttest mean of the experimental group was compared with the posttest mean of the comparison group with the pretest scores used as a covariate. Overall, no statistical significance was found; however, statistical significance was found on 2 of the 22 measures taken. Furthermore, there was a remarkable degree of consistency for the experimental group. Overall, consistency was seen with the experimental group scoring higher on 18 of the 22 measures indicating that perhaps if there had been more students a significant effect might have been seen. Nonetheless, the consistency leads to the conclusion that the treatment had some kind of effect. There is an implication that a positive, although not statistically significant effect on the motivation, attitudes and behaviors of at-risk learners occurred.

A guide for parents, educators, and caregivers on how to inspire unmotivated children identifies teaching strategies that can be applied to a variety of personality types, in a resource that explains how adults can become healthy and work-oriented role models.

The Handbook of Motivation at School presents the first comprehensive and integrated compilation of theory and research on children’s motivation at school. It covers the major theoretical perspectives in the field as well as their application to instruction, learning, and social adjustment at school. Key Features: Comprehensive – no other book provides such a comprehensive overview of theory and research on children’s motivation at school. Theoretical & Applied – the book provides a review of current motivation theories by the developers of those theories as well as attention to the application of motivation theory and research in classrooms and schools. Chapter Structure – chapters within each section follow a similar structure so that there is uniformity across chapters. Commentaries – each section ends with a commentary that provides clear directions for future research.

"This book provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings on game-based learning to help readers who want to improve their understanding of the important roles and applications of educational games in terms of teaching strategies, instructional design, educational psychology and game design"--Provided by publisher.