The level of engagement of students in schooling has long been associated with the type of educational outcomes achieved. This relationship is very apparent during early adolescence. It is during this developmental period that young people navigate the transition between primary and secondary school and may disengage from schooling. The Imagined…

This study examined the reciprocal dynamics of teacher autonomy support with student motivation and engagement during late elementary and early middle school. A total of 861 students in grades 5-7 reported on three components of teacher autonomy support (choice, relevance, and respect), as well as their own engagement and self-system processes…

The primary objective of this study is to explore the interrelation between motivation, self-efficacy, and behavioral engagement in primary school mathematics learning. This study also examines the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between motivation and behavioral engagement. The research involved 660 fifth and sixth grade…

This study examined the development of the evaluation of praise that differs in congruence between what the praiser is praising (i.e. effort or ability) and what led the recipient to succeed. Children aged 7 and 8 years (second graders) and 10 and 11 years (fifth graders), as well as adults, made emotional and motivational evaluations about…

Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for teachers can improve classroom interactions, teacher mindfulness, and well-being, yet whether teacher focused MBIs also benefit children remains largely unexplored. This cluster randomized trial with 36 urban elementary schools, 224 K-5th grade teachers (M[subscript age] = 41.5) and 5200 children…

Achieving adequate physical activity is an important health goal that many elementary school students are not meeting during the school day. The physical activity leadership (PAL) Program was designed to provide individually tailored supports to improve the quantity and quality of physical activity in schools, as well as promote improvements in…

Studies have shown that teacher perceptions of student achievement influence teacher-student interactions, subsequently affecting student outcomes. However, teachers may also take note of and respond to the motivation and engagement of their students in a differential way, which could affect student outcomes as well. In the present study, we thus…

Student motivation and engagement have been complex issues in basic mathematics education. Based on the theory of Motivation and Engagement Wheel, this study examined the relationships among student motivation, engagement, and mathematics achievement. A sample of 1,538 Chinese primary school students participated in the survey, and motivation and…

Purpose: To test a structural equations model that analyzes the effects from satisfaction and frustration of the basic psychological needs on motivation types and the same effects on engagement and disaffection in physical education class, and to validate invariance among gender groups. Method: The participants were 1,470 fifth- and sixth-grade…

This dissertation examines students' social-emotional experience with knowledge building pedagogy from the lenses of grit and growth mindset. The goal of this dissertation is to understand how interest, perseverance of effort and growth mindset oriented feedback engage students social emotionally in knowledge building to sustain and deepen their…

The problem was the decline in executive functioning skills of Grade 5 students in a consolidated independent school district in suburban Austin, Texas since the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative critical instance case study was to better understand the perceptions of teachers regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the executive…

As computer games become integral to students' learning experiences, this dissertation investigates the impact of educational game-based learning on mathematical outcomes and attitudes among elementary school students. Employing data science techniques, including statistical approaches and quantitative analysis through data mining of gameplay data…

Efforts taken to promote self-regulated learning (SRL) in elementary school have positive effects on learning outcomes. Few studies examine the role of motivation in relation to other SRL components, namely cognition and metacognition. Additionally, few SRL studies involving elementary students focus on motivational supports. Interventions that…

Teacher-rated classroom engagement and student self-reported motivation for mathematics were used to predict mathematics scores in 3rd and 5th grade. Students were grouped based on a combination of biological sex and SES quintiles resulting in 10 independent groups. The mathematics achievement patterns were predicted based upon a combined…

This study examined the extent to which boys fell into clusters comprised of different levels of motivations and costs. In turn, the antecedents of these clusters and associations with engagement and wellbeing outcomes were considered. Based on survey responses from 168 students across Years 5, 7 and 9 from an all-boys' school in Sydney,…