| The goal of this study was to examine how a project-based organic chemistry laboratory curriculum might influence the intrinsic motivation of students. This study also examined how students' achievement goal orientations and professional and academic interests might mediate their responses to the curriculum.;In this study, a project-based curriculum was implemented with the intention of providing students with a motivating environment of enhanced autonomy, authenticity and suspense. Qualitative, ethnographic methods were utilized to study how students responded to the curriculum.;This study found that students overwhelmingly responded positively to the autonomous aspects of the curriculum. However, they were more mixed in their response to its suspenseful features and were mainly unaware of its authentic features. It was also found that students' achievement goal orientations did mediate their responses to the curriculum, with mastery oriented students more motivated by the curriculum than other students. |
