What Motivates Introductory Geology Students to Study for an Exam?
What Motivates Introductory Geology Students to Study for an Exam?
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是什么促使地质学入门学生学习考试？
DOI：
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发表时间：
2014
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
D. McConnell
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
L. Lukes;D. McConnell
有必要了解为什么有些学生成功，坚持在STEM领域和其他人没有。虽然许多研究都集中在使用经验验证的教学方法在入门科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）课程的积极成果，很少有数据已经收集到的学生在STEM课程的经验。本研究的目的是捕捉和表征学生的感知，他们的动机，以学习考试在地球科学类。在5个不同的机构（7名教师在两个研究型大学和三个社区学院）的物理地质学入门课程（n = 42）的学生进行了采访，使用半结构化的协议。访谈数据采用扎根理论方法进行分析。由此产生的新兴主题包括目标取向和情绪。所有的学生都报告了他们的动机的表现成分，其中学习任务是达到目的的手段，例如获得分数。然而，大多数表现优异的学生（70%）也报告说，他们的动机也倾向于掌握目标，其中学习任务本身作为一个目的，如满足好奇心，比表现差的学生（18%）更频繁。大多数学生（81%）也描述了他们的动机的情感成分。与现有的模式相反，大多数学生表示，他们有动力参与考试准备，以避免经历负面情绪。这些对学生动机的见解对类似入门课程的课程设计和教学实践都有影响。
ABSTRACT There is a need to understand why some students succeed and persist in STEM fields and others do not. While numerous studies have focused on the positive results of using empirically validated teaching methods in introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses, little data has been collected about the student experience in STEM courses. The aim of this study was to capture and characterize the student perception of their motivation to study for an exam in a geoscience class. Students enrolled in introductory physical geology courses (n = 42) at 5 different institutions (seven instructors at two research universities and three community colleges) were interviewed using a semistructured protocol. The interview data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The resulting emergent themes included goal orientation and emotion. All students report a performance component to their motivation, where a learning task is a means to an end, such as earning a grade. However, most high performing students (70%) also reported their motivation was also oriented towards a mastery goal, where a learning task itself serves as an end, such as satisfying curiosity, more frequently than low performing students (18%). The majority of students (81%) also described an emotional component to their motivation. Contrary to existing models, most students indicated they were motivated to engage in exam preparation as a way to avoid experiencing negative emotions. These resulting insights to student motivation have implications both for course design and instructional practices in similar introductory courses.