In this study, 80 ninth-grade students enrolled in Algebra I from a high school in south Texas completed the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale for Children (ITIS) Survey and the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) Survey, before and after a set of interventions. The students were divided into one of four groups, three with applied…

Many efforts to reform science educational standards and structure have placed an emphasis on directing learners to communicate about concepts using external representations (ERs). Techniques to develop competencies with ERs often ask learners to develop understanding outside of a physical context while concurrently making connections back to the…

Intrinsic motivation can be more influential for student's long-term learning because it can give students the internal drive to learn and complete a task without an outside influence. This study used a qualitative exploratory case study method and design. The problem addressed by this research study was that 9th and 10th grade social studies…

The general problem in this study was that African American high school students were failing mathematics at staggering rates due to standardization of non-inclusive math curriculums, void of a math pedagogy. Curriculums should be based on the ideals of SDT that inspire intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The specific problem in this study was…

Student mathematics motivation and engagement in the first year of high school is critical because of its volatility (Mangu, Middleton, & Lee, 2016) and importance for future academic advancement and career opportunities (Trusty, & Niles, 2003). Following the quantitative longitudinal non-experimental design (O'Dwyer & Bernauer, 2013),…

This study delves into the disparity in academic performance between students of color and their white counterparts, the former performing three to five years behind. To address this issue, a qualitative and interpretive descriptive study was conducted to investigate how schools address learning opportunities for students of color, employing…

Local, state and national data show that graduation rates for African Americans lag behind White students. This problem has existed for decades, and African American students may not have the proper support to succeed. Further, research has shown that bonding or school connectedness can lead to better graduation outcomes. One approach that may…

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the implementation of an adaptive web-based learning environment to personalize geometry instruction and practice for high school students at a private school in North Carolina. This study was guided by the following three research questions: How and to what extent does implementing…

This quantitative study examined teacher perceptions on the relationship between technology, student academic behaviors, and performance in blended 9th-12th grade settings through pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and post-COVID-19 Pandemic learning experiences. This replicate study explored the relationship between teacher perceptions of student motivation…

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of a Khan Academy growth mindset lesson plan on the motivation of at-risk ninth grade students in a mathematics classroom. Data were collected for quantitative analysis of students' self-reporting of perceptions pertaining to mindset beliefs before and after a mindset…

This study was conducted in India, where teachers use the lecture method of communication in the classroom. It is important for the teacher to establish credibility while communicating to motivate the students in the classroom. The study examined the relationship between teacher communication, and teacher credibility, student motivation, and…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the motivation and amotivation to read of 9th-12th grade adolescents in a large semi-urban high school in southwestern North Carolina. The principal theory guiding this study is Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991, 1994, 2000) as it explicates three universal human needs…

In a Southern state at a rural high school, leadership staff implemented phonics-based strategies with 9th grade English teachers to improve students' Lexile reading scores. The absence of formative data related to program implementation left stakeholders without a clear understanding of the influence of the phonics-based strategies. The purpose…

This dissertation investigated whether math course sequence from 8 th to 9th grade influenced 9th grade math motivation, defined as perceived competence in math, sense of belonging in math, importance of math, and math anxiety. Two competing hypotheses were proposed suggesting that a more accelerated math curriculum (Algebra 1 in 8th grade versus…

Students' initial eagerness and excitement for learning to read are evident when they enter primary grades. Their levels of enthusiasm for reading diminish through elementary (Eccles, Wigfield, Harold, & Blumenfeld, 1993; Mazzoni, Gambell, & Koreamaki, 1999) and middle school (McKenna & Kearn, 1990; Oldfather & McLaughlin, 1993)…