This study sought to fill the gap in the literature concerning intrinsic motivation in elementary students in Grades 4-6 by examining 155 elementary school students and in-depth interviews with three elementary grade teachers. This study used data collected from the self-report survey called the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory…

This research project sought to determine the effects of a School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support program (SWPBIS) on the intrinsic motivation of third grade students in regard to student achievement, student behavior, and teacher perception. Students of two intermediate schools served as the treatment group and control group, and were…

Across the United States, K-12 schools are challenged by rapid growth in the percentage of students of color, culturally and linguistically diverse students, and students from low-income families. A failing practice in the educational system has been to teach these diverse students as if they were the same. This quantitative study examined the…

Motivation and nine other factors were measured for 970 students in grades five through eight in a study of factors predicting achievement and predicting motivation. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Comparative grading persists because society continues to value its selective function--allocation of scarce educational and economic resources to the most educable students. There is an unspoken consensus that grades are necessary to motivate students to learn. Educators should tap middle schoolers' internal and inherent motivators instead.…

The interrelationships among motivational variables drawn from locus of control (LOC) theory and attribution theory, combined with measures of school achievement were measures of school achievement were investigated. Motivational instruments were administered to intermediate grade students and achievement data were extracted from existing school…

Effects of goal setting on motor skill performance were studied with 93 fifth graders who were asked to set their own performance goals, given high but attainable teacher-set goals, or given a general goal (do your best). Specific goals set by student or teacher produced higher levels of performance. (JHZ)

Recent literature on motivation has documented that perceptions of self-competence and motivational orientations for learning are interrelated. This study focuses specifically on childrens perceptions of their scholastic abilities, how these perceptions develop and how they relate to intrinsic motivation for learning. The rationale for this study…

A study investigated the effect of reward on sixth graders' self-correction inaccuracy and monitored the effect of improved self-correction on mathematics homework achievement. There was a low baseline rate of student self-correction inaccuracy. Offering a reward for improved accuracy caused the rate of inaccuracy to decrease significantly.…

Researchers have suggested that many low-achieving students lack planning skills and self-direction. In this study, goal-setting techniques were used to provide self-management for fourth-grade mathematics students lacking planning skills. While all 30 students in the classroom participated in the project, 5 boys who had low mathematics diagnostic…

Cognitive and affective outcomes of a class visit to a participatory science museum were examined by comparing responses of 416 fifth and sixth graders randomly assigned to four conditions (control, exhibit, lesson, exhibit followed by lesson) and two tests (verbal and visual). Results and implications for science education are presented.…

This cross-cultural study tests a model of motivation on children's learning. Participating in the study are 805 Chinese students and 740 Canadian students. Students answered survey questions related to their perceptions of parents and teachers as well as their motivation orientations and the perceived level of control in learning; their homeroom…

Conducted in two phases, this study compared students' affective characteristics (locus of control, academic motivation, and self concept) at schools that were identified as either more effective or less effective. In phase one, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from seven Title I schools in a New England city (n=1,373) were tested on ability and…

Findings are discussed from a study in which classroom behavior of three fifth grade teachers was observed. Their respective classroom environments were labeled: "learning-oriented,""work-oriented," and "work-avoidance." The affect of these environments on achievement test scores and guidelines for implementing motivational strategies employed in…

Developing self-motivated, empowered middle school students is an ongoing struggle for teachers and administrators. This practicum was designed to address the problem teachers have in finding specific teaching strategies that would help students become empowered and self-motivated learners. This study focuses on directly integrating techniques…