While gender-based achievement gaps have been widely explored in academic motivation research, gender-related variables such as sexual orientation and other-gender similarity radically shift understandings of these disparities. Recent research has shown that gay men have a notable bachelor's degree attainment advantage over heterosexual men while…

In this dissertation, I explore the educational experiences and opportunities of youth, ages 15-30, in Solomon Islands. Based on research at two secondary schools in Solomon Islands and the communities surrounding them, this project examines the challenges young people face when pursuing secondary schooling and the cultural values that motivate…

Neoliberal education reforms have altered the way social justice is imagined in relation to schooling. These reforms reframe social justice as 'equity' through conceptions of standards, evidence and teacher quality, while detracting attention from the moral and political dispositions required for socially-just teaching. Knowing more about how this…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to higher education institutions, especially for staffing. Internal interim appointments were used to fill gaps in the administrative ranks. Literature emphasizes that interim leaders often serve during periods of uncertainty, crisis, and change. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivation(s)…

Compelling international evidence illustrates the potential of reading for pleasure for enhancing student reading achievement along with other learning and wellbeing outcomes. Yet profound challenges exist for nations seeking to encompass attention to students' volitional reading. In this paper we critically review the growing research evidence in…

The concept of growth mindset--an individual's beliefs that basic characteristics such as intelligence are malleable--has gained immense popularity in research, the media, and educational practice. Even though it is assumed that teachers need a growth mindset and that both teachers and their students benefit when teachers adopt a growth mindset,…

Stress levels are high among college students in the United States. Growth mindset and stress-is-enhancing mindset interventions offer ways to reduce stress, but minimal research has examined them. This study's aim was to examine the effect of mindset interventions on mindsets, stress, academic motivation, and responses to hypothetical academic…

While the movement for flexibility in higher education can be traced back to the first corresponding courses in the 18th century, the recent pandemic has led to an unprecedented demand for flexible learning, particularly in higher education settings. This review of the literature delves into the evolution of flexible course design and defines…

The purpose of this comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a statistically significance difference in college students' motivation--amotivation, external regulation, introjection, identification, intrinsic motivation--to learn Algebra I between in-person instruction and online instruction in Central Arizona. The theory…

High school chemistry is essential. Every citizen needs basic chemistry background to understand current events, and millions more can benefit from further study. Nevertheless, students do not always continue learning chemistry, even when they could do so. The loss of potential learning is significantly more common for girls, economically…

Teaching statistics to generalist students oriented toward a profession, rather than academic merits, may be challenging. As statistics courses also tend to have a low student appeal, tailoring a course toward this type of audience is demanding. Framed within the theory of statistical thinking and literacy, this article shows how an investigative…

The current study contributes to the recent debate on the question whether learner emotions can be intrinsically motivating or whether they are no more than diffuse action tendencies (Dörnyei 2020). Adopting a longitudinal approach, we combined repeated analysis of variances and mixed effects modelling to capture interactions between Foreign…

It is well known that successful second language (L2) learners are motivated individuals. Accordingly, L2 researchers have tested the predictive power of different motivational constructs on language learning outcomes. However, this perspective appears to neglect the assessment of achievement as a predictor of future motivation. To assess this…

Purpose: This study aims to identify the main motivational factors that led practicing teachers to choose teaching as a profession in the United States and Turkey. Another purpose of this research is to investigate the possible significant difference between male and female teachers from the United States and Turkey considering motivational…

Research has demonstrated that on the path from a creative idea to a creative outcome, high creativity motivation and self-efficacy do not necessarily lead to creative behavior. The present study proposed and examined the notion that daily creativity planning could promote creative behavior and contribute to the cultivation of creativity. A total…