Although many studies in recent years have examined the use of gamification as a motivational strategy in education, evidence regarding its effects on intrinsic motivation is inconsistent. To make the case for or against the adoption of gamification in education, this study examines its effects on students' intrinsic motivation and the underlying…

Given the various motivational challenges that students experience when engaging in academic tasks, there is an emerging interest in investigating students' cost perceptions and how to reduce them. However, most of the research has investigated general cost perceptions with a one-time assessment, often divorced from context in which cost is…

To date, student issues with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have only been explored in context-specific environments. Mainstream problems such as declining student motivation during a course, massive student dropout rates, accountability, user experience, etc., persist due to the permutations and combinations of these issues. Literature is…

The dissertation investigated the interplay between an elevated sense of purpose moderated by heightened altruistic motivation and sustained attention in a college undergraduate population. Drawing on existing literature highlighting the positive effects of purpose on well-being and cognitive abilities, the study introduced an experimental design…

Unlike many earlier models of student persistence that viewed the process of student persistence through the lens of the institution, the model proposed here looks at persistence through the eyes of students. It draws on the research on student motivation, student perceptions, and the impact of student networks on student engagement to propose a…

In structural equation modeling, relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables are often assumed to be linear though that is not a requirement. A recent trend in modeling latent interactions and moderations has stimulated further inquiry into nonlinear relationships and the analysis techniques associated with those types of models.…

Language ideologies can powerfully shape language learner perceptions and progress. This qualitative study investigated and reports findings based on analysis of interviews with 14 participants who self-identify as advanced users of Spanish. While dominant language ideologies in the U.S. often undermine learners reaching high levels of language…

Background: According to Dweck's mindset theory, implicit beliefs (a.k.a. mindset) have an organizing function, bringing together mindset, achievement goals and effort beliefs in a broader meaning system. Two commonly described meaning systems are a growth-mindset meaning system with mastery goals and positive effort beliefs, and a fixed-mindset…

Priming examinees with questions about intended effort prior to testing has been shown to significantly increase examinee expended effort via self-reported effort and response-time effort. However, this question-behavior effect seems to wear off later in a testing session. We examined whether administering a second "dose" of the…

Growth mindset (GM) theory conceptualizes that one's ability can be improved with effort (Dweck, Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development, Taylor & Francis, 1999) from a social-cognitive perspective. Self-determination theory (SDT) emphasizes the motivational source of learning, i.e. autonomous motivation (AM) and…

The purpose of the article is to analyze the research activity of students in the context of distance education in order to identify factors that influence its formation. The work highlights the practical aspects of stimulating students' research activity. The work uses the methods of questionnaires, testing, and the method of expert evaluations.…

Regular physical activity (PA) can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve cognitive function and emotional health. Unfortunately, many college students are inactive and at risk for chronic diseases and mental health conditions. Therefore, innovative exercise interventions that promote PA in this population are needed. PA adherence is…

Background: In recent years, the widespread use of technology in classrooms has encouraged the transition from traditional lecture methods to digital-based learning environments. Technological game-based learning platforms, such as Kahoot!, which are used to encourage students' active participation and interaction in learning environments, are…

Flipped learning, a well-established method in science education, sees its impact further amplified when coupled with the active control of self-regulated learners over their learning and metacognitive processes. In this study, a self-regulated flipped learning approach was designed and tested with the intention of enhancing the science learning…

Bullying a detrimental behavior associated with costs to individuals, schools, and communities. Essential to our efforts to reduce bullying is understanding why bullying occurs, particularly from the perspective of preservice teachers who will one day engage in antibullying intervention and prevention efforts. However, no such measure capturing…