Science teachers' professional learning about student motivation can play a key role in developing their ability to nurture student motivation and cope with motivational challenges. To advance the understanding of how on-the-job discussions facilitate teacher learning about student motivation, this study investigated how elementary-school science…

This study uses a mixed method sequential exploratory design to examine motivational and contextual influences on boys' and girls' engagement in math and science, paying particular attention to similarities and differences in the patterns by gender. First, interviews were conducted with 38 middle and high school students who varied in their level…

Abstract The 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has drawn a substantial amount of attention from science educators and educational policymakers because it marked the first time that PISA assessed students' ability to evaluate and design scientific inquiry using computer-based simulations. We undertook a secondary analysis…

Due to apartheid policies, Black African learners in South Africa have been severely disadvantaged in school science. Despite policy changes to redress these historical imbalances, Black African learners continue to underperform in science. Previous research has identified motivation as a key factor that impacts performance. Achievement goal…

Many students feel the curriculum is detached from their lives and interests. Indeed, about half the questions asked by high school biology students are not addressed by the curriculum. This study presents a strategy to incorporate students' curiosity questions into the curriculum as a way to reduce the disparity between students' interests and…

Multiple illustrative case studies were used to investigate guided inquiry methods and the benefits of traditional science notebooks versus electronic science notebooks for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Results indicated students successfully acquired science content and increased motivation through science inquiry…

A 3-year study was launched in a Hong Kong secondary school to investigate the effects of the medium of instruction (MOI), specifically English and Chinese, on the learning of certificate-level physics. A total of 199 Secondary Four (S4 or tenth-grade) students, divided into three major ability groups, participated in a teaching intervention…

The present study is based on the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory of cognitive science. It was hypothesized that the influence of students' gender on their motivation to learn science is often overestimated in the research literature and that cognitive style is more important for motivation than students' gender. By using structural equation…

"Situational interest" is a short-term form of motivation which occurs when a specific situation stimulates the focused attention of students (e.g., a spectacular science demonstration could arouse transient interest amongst nearly all the students in a class, even those who are not normally interested in science). However, there have…

Cognitive and affective outcomes of a class visit to a participatory science museum were examined by comparing responses of 416 fifth and sixth graders randomly assigned to four conditions (control, exhibit, lesson, exhibit followed by lesson) and two tests (verbal and visual). Results and implications for science education are presented.…

Examines individual and classroom-level differences in motivation and strategy usage in science students. Results suggest that ability-focused practices are related to low levels of motivation, poor self-esteem, and lack of confidence in science ability. Conversely, learning-focused methods and activities in classrooms resulted in increased…

Investigated effects of using laboratory photomicrography as a motivational technique in the teaching/learning processes involved in the study of microbiology in Nigerian schools. Of the 720 students participating in the study, those taught using the photomicrographs scored highest on posttests and indicated that they were highly motivated by the…

The effects of controversy and concurrence seeking and participation in age-homogeneous and age-heterogeneous cooperative learning groups were compared on achievement, achievement motivation, perspective-taking accuracy, and interpersonal attraction. In addition, the interaction among students (N=112 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders) within the…

Contrasts the traditional honors program and the Advanced Placement program of the College Entrance Examination Board using the self-reports of 155 high school science teachers experienced in both programs. Examines the perceived influences of each program format upon the use of basic teaching techniques, laboratory experiences, pacing of the…