Recent scholarly discussions about massive open online courses (MOOCs) highlight pedagogical and practical issues that separate MOOCs from other learning settings, especially how theories of learning translate to MOOC students' motivation, participation, and performance. What is missing from these discussions is the purpose of the MOOC. We report…

When investigating motivation, including motivation to read, motivation should be conceptualized as a multidimensional construct which considers the individual's purposes for engaging in the activities under investigation (Deci & Ryan, 2002). Motivation for activities that are undertaken because they are enjoyable in and of themselves or…

This exploratory study aimed to (a) identify students' beliefs about their abilities and the contributions of their school environments toward achieving their college and career aspirations, (b) group schools by students' perceptions, and (c) contrast this grouping with grouping by school-level demographics. This secondary analysis examined items…

Transfer students make up a significant portion of the student body in higher education today; yet, representation of their college experiences and outcomes in the literature seems sparse. This study explored transfer students to determine whether their level of engagement and belonging in college was related to their academic motivation. We…

Articulation agreements between colleges and universities, whereby students with two-year college diplomas can receive advancement toward a four-year university degree, are provincially mandated in some Canadian provinces and highly encouraged in others. In this study, we compared learning in college transfer and direct-entry from high school…

Students' motivation is known to be influenced by both internally referenced and externally referenced factors. Internally referenced factors include self-processes (sense of competence and affect), whereas externally referenced factors include significant others (parents, peers and teachers). Using the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire, the…

The present study explores the relationship between students' perception of their institution's mission identity, personal goal orientation tendencies, and the extent to which they engage in mission-driven activities. Goal orientation research categorizes student motivations in three ways: mastery orientation (MO), performance-approach (PAp)…

Describes a survey of students from the Open University of Hong Kong that compared high achievers and low achievers as defined by performances on scores over four consecutive semesters. Discusses locus of control; metacognition; locus of control and achievement motivation; and implications for instructional design, materials development, and…