“Learning is Not Always Fun, But it is Fine” Effects of Rationale Generation on Autonomous Motivation and Learning in Uninteresting But Required Academic Activities

Cong Wang, Purdue University

Abstract

Extrinsic motivation is often considered undesirable; however, it is essential in driving students to engage in learning, because learning is not always fun in the real-world of schoolrelated tasks. In my dissertation, I investigated how college students adjusted motivation when they engaged in uninteresting but required activities using a self-determination theory (SDT) framework. According to SDT, people have an inherent tendency to integrate socially-valued regulations that are initially perceived as being external. This process is called internalization, which enhances autonomous motivation and performance. There is substantial evidence in terms of what teachers could do to facilitate students’ internalization. However, recently, researchers proposed that more work is needed to explore the role of the characteristics of the learners in the process of internalization, because it could help explain why people are differently healthy, effective, and happy even when they are in the same social context. This dissertation aimed to study the effects of rationale generation on college students’ autonomous motivation. Specific research questions were: (1) to investigate the relations among rationale generation, motivation, and learning through the lens of SDT; (2) to examine the causal effects of rationale generation on autonomous motivation and learning performance; and (3) to understand students’ perceptions of successful motivation strategies during uninteresting but required academic activity. An explanatory sequential mixed method design was used to answer these questions.In Study 1, I demonstrated that rationale generation orientation, including rationale generation tendency and rationale generation quality, is a learner-related factor that influenced basic psychological needs, motivation, and learning outcomes. Rationale generation quality plays a more important role than rationale generation tendency. In Study 2, I developed and successfully tested a rationale generation intervention to enhance students’ identification, although no significant differences in learning have been found between the rationale generation group and the control group. To gain more insight into students experience in uninteresting but required academic activities within the context of higher education, in Study 3 I interviewed 11 graduate students regarding their uninteresting learning experiences and motivational strategies. Students generally perceive uninteresting but required learning activities as boring and disappointing and have low motivation to engage in such activities. The most common strategy that the students use is enhancing personal significance. Many students believe that having a high-quality rationale that is related to identification could enhance motivation. Taken together, my findings indicate that providing students with opportunities to generate rationales for the uninteresting but required academic activities may open the door to discovering personal significance for completing such activities. Autonomous motivation, especially identification, will be enhanced if students can recognize the significance of learning for their personal interests and lives. A study focusing on these research questions contributed to a theoretical understanding of extrinsic motivation and motivational adjustment. The results were beneficial for higher education researchers and practitioners to implement strategies fostering college students’ autonomous motivation.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Levesque-Bristol, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Higher education|Engineering|Education|Mathematics

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