ERIC Number: EJ937480
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0218-8791
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Researching High-Achieving Students' Appraisals of Classroom Motivation and Learning Using a Diary Technique
Ng, Chi-Hung
Asia Pacific Journal of Education, v24 n1 p81-103 2004
Most of the research on motivation in education often uses measures taken outside the context of students' actual learning activities. This paper, however, maintains that students' motivation and learning are situated. Using a diary technique, this study explored how a class of high-achieving students in an Australian state high school (N = 34) appraised continuously their mathematics lessons. Both qualitative and quantitative data were generated. Students' diary comments provided descriptive evidence showing how students' different types of self-knowledge interplayed with situation-specific learning demands. Based on these diary comments, students' ratings of various motivational constructs were classified into motivating, unmotivating and neutral groups. ANOVA Tests with Scheffe Post Hoc Tests found motivational differences in lessons perceived as motivating versus those perceived as unmotivating. A subsequent discriminant analysis showed that a mastery goal, task values and a mastery-oriented learning climate were important predictor variables that discriminated motivating lessons from unmotivating ones. In short, the current findings provided empirical evidence regarding the dynamic and interactive aspects of motivation and learning in a classroom context. (Contains 6 tables.)
Descriptors: High Achievement, Academic Achievement, Predictor Variables, Student Motivation, Discriminant Analysis, Diaries, Foreign Countries, High School Students, Mathematics Instruction, Qualitative Research, Mastery Learning, Statistical Analysis, Student Attitudes, Classroom Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A