Motivation in the Classroom

Graduate credit

Motivation is fundamental to learning. In order to succeed academically students must be motivated to do the work that success requires. Researchers, teachers, and school counselors alike should have an understanding of motivation theories and take these perspectives into account when interpreting data and understanding patterns in student learning, achievement, and behavior. This course surveys diverse perspectives on achievement motivation in schools, grounded in psychological and human development theories. Attributions, self-determination, expectancy-value, goal orientation, and achievement emotions are a few of the traditional motivation frameworks we investigate in this course. Throughout the course we will also consider the practical applications of these theories to understand and evaluate teacher practice, student narratives, education policy, and social programs. Finally, we will take a critical lens toward motivation theory and research to understand these constructs in light of race and racism, as well as systems and ideology that perpetuate social injustice in education and frustrate motivation for historically disenfranchised youth.