| As part of the Masters Degree in Education (Adult Education) program at MSVU, a practicum based on "cooperative learning" was implemented in an intensive two hour/day format over a 15 week period during the fall semester of 1996. The practicum was a simulated student work experience for second year students enrolled in an international business diploma program at the Truro Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College. The initiative was based on the needs of the modern workplace and on the theoretical foundations of cooperative learning. One area of difficulty encountered during this practicum was that of student motivation.;This thesis, reviews, evaluates and attempts to address the issue of student motivation in the context of this practicum. The historical foundations of motivational theory are reviewed along with other research related to the topic of student motivation in the classroom. The thesis then focuses on the subject of intrinsic motivation as a central theme to develop a practical framework for improving motivation levels for students in the program. Six specific recommendations are made to improve the practicum course. Also, sixteen other specific recommendations are made that relate to general program improvements that would, presumably, also help improve students intrinsic motivation levels. Lastly, reflections are offered on the thesis effort, the learning journey of the author (as a new student in the field of Adult Education) and, on the changing times in which we live. |
