Predicting lower secondary school students’ intrinsic motivation in science learning: the role of context and teaching-learning approaches
Date
2023-10-11
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Abstract
Loodusainete õppimisel on üheks oluliseks probleemiks õpilaste sisemise motivatsiooni langus, mis avaldub eriti ilmekalt üleminekul algkoolist põhikooli ehk puberteedieas. Uuringud näitavad, et selline tendents on tingitud mitmetest faktoritest, sealhulgas õpilaste psühholoogiliste põhivajaduste (autonoomia, kompetentsuse ja seotuse) vähesest toetamisest või mitterahuldamisest õppimisel, õpetajakeskse õpikeskkonna domineerimisest loodusainete tundides ja loodusainete õppimise irrelevantsusest (vähesest seotusest õpilaste igapäevaeluga). Käesolev doktoritöö keskendub õpi- ja õppetegevuste ning kontekstipõhise lähenemisviisi komponentide uurimisele 6. ja 9. klassi õpilaste sisemise motivatsiooni ennustamisel loodusainete õppimisel. Uuringu empiirilised andmed koguti põhikooli 6. ja 9. klassi õpilastelt ning loodusainete õpetajatelt elektrooniliste küsimustikega. Töös kasutati läbilõikeuuringu disaini ning andmeid koguti kahel ajahetkel kolmeaastase intervalliga. Grupivõrdluse tulemused näitavad, et 6. klassi õpilased tajuvad loodusainete õppimist sisemiselt motiveerivamalt võrreldes 9. klassi õpilastega, kinnitades varasemate uuringute tulemusi motivatsiooni langusetrendist põhikooli õpilaste seas vanuse kasvades. Töö tulemustest ilmneb, et nii 6. kui 9. klassi õpilased hindavad kõrgemalt selliste loodusteaduslike teemade õppimist, mis on esitatud nende igapäevaeluga seotud (personaalses või sotsiaalses) kontekstis võrreldes ainealases võtmes esitatud teemadega. Lisaks näitavad tulemused, et nii õpilased kui loodusainete õpetajad tajuvad traditsioonilisi õpi- ja õppetegevusi (nt loengu pidamine, küsimuste esitamine ja klassiarutelu) loodusainete tundides kõige sagedamini kasutatavateks võrreldes õpilaskesksete tegevustega (nt. koostöised tegevused ja katsetamine) ehkki traditsiooniliste õppetegevuste sagedasem tajutud kasutamine ennustab õpilaste sisemist motivatsiooni statistiliselt oluliselt kõrgemalt võrreldes õpilaskesksete tegevustega. Töö tulemused annavad mitmeid soovitusi sisemise motivatsiooni uurimiseks nii loodusteaduslikus hariduses kui ka loodusainete õpetajatele, et senisest tõhusamalt toetada õpilaste psühholoogliste põhivajaduste rahuldamist ning seeläbi suurendades nende sisemist motivatsiooni loodusainete õppimisel.
A central question in education is how to address students’ declining motivation in science learning, especially during adolescence, i.e. the period when students complete primary education and continue in secondary school. Research has shown that this tendency may occur, at least partly, because of insufficient support for students’ basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and connectedness) satisfaction in learning, the dominance of a teacher-centred learning environment in secondary science classrooms as well as a perceived irrelevance of the science curriculum context. This doctoral thesis focuses on the role played by teaching-learning approaches and key components of context-based learning in predicting changes in students’ (grades 6 to 9) intrinsic motivation in science learning. Empirical data were collected as a part of a large-scale project from lower secondary school (grade 6 and 9) students and science teachers through electronic self-reported questionnaires. A cross-sectional research design was used throughout the thesis to collect data over a three-year period. The results showed a decline in students’ intrinsic motivation whereby grade 6 students perceived science learning more intrinsically motivational comparing to grade 9 students. Results indicated that both grade 6 and 9 students value learning science topics presented in everyday life related (personal or social) context more highly compared to science subject related topics, yet everyday life related science topics predicted student intrinsic motivation the most strongly but had significantly less predictive effect with age. In line with previous research in the literature, traditional approaches (e.g. lecturing, asking questions and class discussions) were perceived to be the main teaching-learning approaches commonly used in science lessons by students and science teachers, however the more frequent use of traditional approaches significantly predicted students’ intrinsic motivation in science learning compared to student-centred approaches (cooperative, experimental). Based on the results, suggestions are provided for researchers interested in further investigating intrinsic motivation, as well as for science teachers on how to better organise their science learning environment in meeting students’ psychological needs for enhancing intrinsic motivation.
A central question in education is how to address students’ declining motivation in science learning, especially during adolescence, i.e. the period when students complete primary education and continue in secondary school. Research has shown that this tendency may occur, at least partly, because of insufficient support for students’ basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and connectedness) satisfaction in learning, the dominance of a teacher-centred learning environment in secondary science classrooms as well as a perceived irrelevance of the science curriculum context. This doctoral thesis focuses on the role played by teaching-learning approaches and key components of context-based learning in predicting changes in students’ (grades 6 to 9) intrinsic motivation in science learning. Empirical data were collected as a part of a large-scale project from lower secondary school (grade 6 and 9) students and science teachers through electronic self-reported questionnaires. A cross-sectional research design was used throughout the thesis to collect data over a three-year period. The results showed a decline in students’ intrinsic motivation whereby grade 6 students perceived science learning more intrinsically motivational comparing to grade 9 students. Results indicated that both grade 6 and 9 students value learning science topics presented in everyday life related (personal or social) context more highly compared to science subject related topics, yet everyday life related science topics predicted student intrinsic motivation the most strongly but had significantly less predictive effect with age. In line with previous research in the literature, traditional approaches (e.g. lecturing, asking questions and class discussions) were perceived to be the main teaching-learning approaches commonly used in science lessons by students and science teachers, however the more frequent use of traditional approaches significantly predicted students’ intrinsic motivation in science learning compared to student-centred approaches (cooperative, experimental). Based on the results, suggestions are provided for researchers interested in further investigating intrinsic motivation, as well as for science teachers on how to better organise their science learning environment in meeting students’ psychological needs for enhancing intrinsic motivation.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone
Keywords
middle schools, students, natural science disciplines, learning, motivation, learning process