Background: The role of students' epistemic understanding of science in mediating their engagement in learning activities and tasks has been highlighted in the literature. Although researchers recognize epistemic knowledge of science as a multi-faceted framework, the so-called person-centered approach that aims to generate meaningful and distinct…

Background: Gender differences in the use of educational environments and social media platforms have been a topic of interest in research. Several studies have examined the disparities between female and male participants in terms of participation, engagement, and motivations in either educational or social media platforms. On this end, this…

Vocational training (VT) allows young people to receive specialized training in a short period and enter the labor market with a qualification. However, VT is often seen as an unglamorous educational route, despite the fact that there are few admission requirements and that it prepares students for jobs with good conditions. Furthermore, the…

Developing students' strengths while teaching the content required by national and state standards in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is challenging for classroom teachers. In the Cultivating Diverse Talent in STEM (CDTIS) project, the assessment results found in strength-based reports gave teachers the tools needed to…

This project examined the relationships among the motivation and cognitive profiles of adolescent friendship cliques and peripheral (outside the clique group) students in lower and upper track algebra classes. Two hundred and thirty students from two high schools completed a motivation and cognitive engagement instrument as well as a peer group…

The present study used multidimensional and person-centered approaches to identify subgroups of adolescents characterized by unique patterns of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement and examined whether adolescent developmental outcomes varied as a function of different combinations of engagement components. Data were collected on 1,025…

Applying a person-centered approach, the primary aim of this study was to examine what profiles of schoolwork engagement and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy) can be identified in high school (N = 979) and among the same participants in young adulthood (ages ranging from 17 to 25). We also examined gender differences, group…

Background/Context: Despite the importance of students' active engagement for learning, little is known about how teachers create environments that are supportive of students' positive motivational and learning-related beliefs, particularly at the high school level. Furthermore, most of the studies that have described teacher practices in relation…

This research examined how rural high school students' self-perceptions and environmental perceptions influence their engagement, expectations, and achievement, and how those relationships differ by geographic rural location. Participants were 224 students in four rural, public high schools in two U.S. states, Colorado and Indiana. Path models…