This paper focuses on data from a study of middle- to upper-middle class Scottish S2 ([approximately]seventh grade) students who participated in Inspiring Purpose, a school-based character development program, during the 2016 to 2017 school year. Directed by their teachers, participating youth reflected on values and future aspirations and…

Although women are increasing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), men still dominate these fields at the highest levels. This systematic review examined 165 studies published between 2013 and 2023 on the factors affecting girls' participation in STEM subjects. The feminist's intersectionality and the social cognitive…

Motivation to learn languages other than English (LOTEs) has been underrepresented in second language (L2) motivation research. This study investigated and compared the motivational profiles of first-year and second-year students majoring in Spanish, grounded on the proposition of bifurcating ideal and ought selves into "Own" and…

Using Dornyei's (2005) L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) and Kubanyiova's (2007, 2009) model of 'possible language teacher selves' as main theoretical frameworks, this multiple case study explored four language teaching assistants' developmental patterns with regards to their ideal language teacher selves over a two-year period. It also examined…

U.S. national data show that American Indians earn lower math and science scores than other ethnic/racial groups. In the current study, a brief, self-affirmation intervention was aimed at increasing science motivational beliefs in American Indian middle school students (n = 212, M[subscript age] = 12.7 years). Students, each read a biography of a…

The Professional Student Program for Educational Resilience (PROSPER) was designed to increase students' ability to stay momentarily engaged in classwork, thus promoting educational resilience. Participants (N = 277, 51% male, 74% Irish) from two low-income schools in Dublin, Ireland (School A n = 158; School B n = 119), were assessed using the…

Through 23 open-ended questionnaires and 8 individual interviews, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of Hispanic men and women (N = 23) who completed doctoral degrees in counselor education. Six themes were identified: family role models, educational support, parental expectations, ethnic identity, acculturation/cultural…

Low-income, first-generation students face numerous barriers on the path to college. However, millions of these students persevere and ultimately enroll. How do these students remain motivated on the road to higher education despite these challenges? This collective case study explored influences on the motivation of low-income, first generation…

Latina/os are the fastest growing minority group in the United States and in California, yet they have not been able to maintain an adequate educational attainment and achievement level in comparison to other ethnic groups (Marin & Marin, 1991). Typically, Latinas are not able to achieve the amount of education they set out to accomplish…

Academic competitions have long been an aspect of programming for the gifted. These competitions can facilitate a learning environment that presents gifted students the academic challenge that often is difficult to create in a single classroom or school. They can offer the types of experiences that foster the development of productive attitudes…

This paper presents a qualitative study that used classroom observations, faculty interviews, and student interviews to investigate the meaning and importance of seven non-cognitive variables to a cohort of developmental writing students at an urban community college. The variables studied included finances, study management, college surroundings,…

The influence of students' self-efficacy (perceived capabilities) on their motivation and skill acquisition is discussed, focusing on the role of classroom models. Social-cognitive learning theory suggests that observations of peers performing academic tasks may affect the learners' efficacy partly through the intervening influence of perceived…

Theories of Piaget, Erickson, Freud, and other behavioral psychologists are reviewed in an examination of the development of adolescent self-concept. The implications, for the physical education teacher or athletic coach, of the adolescent's self-consciousness and egocentricity are discussed. It is suggested that the physical education teacher is…

To understand how to best motivate the Mexican American student, one must look not only to the factors considered relevant to achievement in mainstream Anglo American society, but also to specific problems faced by this minority group. Language barriers, cultural differences, economic background, and family attitudes combine to affect the…

To investigate the relationship between teachers' classroom behaviors and the self-concepts of pupils, four tasks were undertaken: (1) to present information; (2) to provide a perspective; (3) to design organizational schema; and (4) to furnish a conceptual framework for the research. The material categorized as information consists of research…