A Study Of Student Motivation In The Context Of Junior Colleges

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first purpose is to identify the intrinsic motivational attributes of students in Jianqiao College grades one through three and how these attributes can be compared with those identified by previous educational researchers. The second purpose of this study is to identify the motivational classroom structures and strategies used by teachers in Jianqiao College grades one through three and to compare these with classroom structures and strategies identified by educational researchers. The resulting qualitative data are categorized using a matrix and the findings are reported using Taylor and Bogdan's (1984) approach which attempts to relate practice to educational and psychological theory. Specific themes include motivational parental involvement, motivational portrait of a school, motivational classroom structures, and motivational teacher strategies. Findings suggest that parental involvement in education is the crucial and most enduring ingredient for the continuing motivation of students. A caring and supportive school climate focusing on empowering both students and staff through effective monitoring, accountability, schoolwide activities, and positive recognition is also found important in student motivation. Further results indicate that classrooms that effectively motivate students tend to be constructive in nature, For example they are more project-based, active, highly-interesting, and meaningful to students than traditional classroom settings. Finally, it is reported that individual teachers are able to foster achievement motivation in students through reflective practice, adjusting teaching methods to student needs, respecting students' choices, providing a forum for discovery, enhancing self-esteem, and creating a caring, respectful, and trusting classroom environment based on positive communications.