Informal programs provide multiple pathways to STEM degrees and careers and support students' interest, engagement, attitude, motivation, and academic achievement in STEM. Examining high-achieving rural students' profiles in informal STEM settings using their cognitive and psychosocial characteristics is crucial to understanding and supporting…

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of virtual reality as a creative adaptive learning tool to help participants control their perceived stress and, in turn, their psychological well-being. The study leveraged humanistic learning theory to conceptualize findings. 353 participants were recruited from five high schools…

Discrete emotions provide a lens for understanding students' subjective experiences in physical education (PE). Enjoyment of PE is one discrete emotion that receives a great deal of attention because it promotes students' interest and engagement. However, the implications of students' negative emotions toward PE remain less clear. Therefore, the…

The COVID-19 disruption presented considerable challenges for university students, requiring the sudden need for increased engagement in remote learning environments and the ability to cope with academic and familial demands. To examine how students self-regulated their learning during the disruption, we surveyed undergraduates (n = 226) enrolled…

There is a need to investigate motivational constructs for students traditionally underrepresented in educational research. In this study, we measured academic self-handicapping behavior, achievement goal orientations, and achievement in math and literacy in 327 urban, middle school students. Moderated mediation regression analyses were conducted…

This study uses student panel data to examine the association between algebra placement and student motivation for mathematics. Changes in achievement goals, expectancy, and task value for students in eighth-grade algebra are compared with those of peers placed in lower-level mathematics courses (N = 3,306). In our sample, students placed in…

The present study investigated the mediating role of motivational self-talk strategies (i.e., mastery self-talk, extrinsic self-talk, and efficacy enhancement self-talk) in the relationships between achievement goals and academic engagement (i.e., involvement, withdrawal in the face of difficulties, avoidance of challenges, and disruptive…

The college and career readiness movement figures prominently in the nation's educational reform and policies, including strategies to increase graduation rates among disadvantaged students in urban schools. As part of a multi-pronged approach to help youth transition to post-secondary education and the workforce, the present study evaluated a new…

Introduction: The self-regulation of motivation (SRM) is conceptualized as a meta-motivational process that guides students' efforts and persistence when performing tasks. This process regulates students' behavior through strategies that are influenced by motivational beliefs. SRM allows students to motivate themselves and guides their behavior.…

Behaviors that warrant school discipline (e.g., fighting, victimizing peers) is detrimental to school climate and the learning process. This study examines the effectiveness of preventing school disciplinary incidents in middle school through an experiential, social and emotional learning (SEL) program. A community youth development organization,…