VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Jones, Brett D."

Browsing by Author "Jones, Brett D."

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An Action Research Study Using the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation to Increase Reading Motivation in an Elementary Classroom
Williams, Angela Marie Watson (Virginia Tech, 2013-07-16)
This study involved examination of the processes employed in tailoring fourth-grade reading instruction to increase levels of student motivation. A participatory action research approach was utilized to design and conduct reading instruction that fourth-grade students perceived to be motivating. The reading instructional program was designed using the five key components of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation (eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring; Jones, 2009) and was implemented daily in an elementary classroom. Students were interviewed to identify their perspectives about the reading program and student input was used by the teacher to inform instruction and adapt the program to increase motivation. The fourth-grade students in this study were motivated to read for a variety of reasons and enjoyed participating in numerous reading activities. The common theme among all of these motivating activities was personal choice or empowerment, such as selecting a book or choosing a topic of interest. When students made suggestions for improving reading instruction, most of the suggestions related to having the ability to make more meaningful choices. After the teacher implemented the suggestions and changes, the inventory scores for all five components of the MUSIC Model increased, with empowerment increasing slightly more than other components. Findings indicated that it was particularly important that students' voices were valued. The teacher finely honed the reading program based upon students' needs and ideas, resulting in increased reading motivation and achievement during a time when the motivation and achievement of fourth-grade students tends to decline.
Analyzing Stakeholder Perceptions of Gaps in Public Sexuality Education: Curriculum, Context, and Community
Richardson, Kasey Lee (Virginia Tech, 2020-11-19)
Sexuality education in public schools in the US is a set of curricula geared toward sexual health, sexual identities, sexual acts, associated values, as well as intimacy and relationships (Naz, 2014). Taught under the curricular umbrella of family life education in the present study, it is governed by state and federal legislation and shaped by community values. It is also uniquely controversial both politically and personally (Drazenovich, 2015; Giroux, 2011). In this study, I developed research questions grounded in Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT): a contemporary, comprehensive theory of sexual identities and behaviors (van Anders, 2015). I also used the theory of legitimate peripheral participation, which is a well-established theory of social interaction that can explain how learning occurs within and around a community (Lave and Wenger, 1991). I analyzed the curriculum of two rural public school divisions in the southeastern US to identify salient categories of curricula relevant to the research questions. I also interviewed 29 school personnel and community partners involved in the curriculum development and guest lectures. I aimed to identify differences in their perceptions of the curriculum as well as how students may have learned about sexuality in out-of-class contexts (for example, the internet, pornography, peer-to-peer, in households, etc.) (Charmaraman, Lee, and Erkut, 2012; Tight, 2016). Results indicated that participants perceived adolescents engaging in informal learning about sexuality elsewhere. The participants reported trying to help adolescents bridge these gaps in instruction with community partnerships, guest lectures from health professionals, and referrals to resources inside and outside of the school. I conclude that curriculum, context, and community are overarching principles in teaching and developing sexuality education. The evidence gathered and interpretations presented provide a rich description that drives implications for stakeholders interested in increasing curricular comprehensiveness.
Assessing Student-Athletes' Motivation: The Development and Validation of the MUSIC® Model of Athletic Motivation Inventory
Munz, Stephan Georg (Virginia Tech, 2018-07-31)
Motivation is a key ingredient of successful athletic performance over time. Although the concept of maximizing motivation has long been of interest to coaches and practitioners, the vast number of motivational theories, principles, and strategies can seem overwhelming and confusing. Consequently, there is a need for providing more holistic frameworks to coaches and practitioners that not only summarize the essential findings of motivation research but also make the information more understandable and applicable in practical settings. The purpose of this study is to present and test the MUSIC Model of Motivation as a framework that can be applied in performance environments by coaches and practitioners to improve athletes' motivation, engagement, and ultimately, performance. The dissertation includes three related studies. First, I conducted a systematic content analysis to support the application of the MUSIC Model in sports. I analyzed 13 books in the realm of sport psychology and coaching. Results showed strong evidence that the underlying principles and theories of the MUSIC Model are represented in the sports literature, which supports the application of the model as a holistic framework for coaches. For the second study, Brett Jones and I developed a motivation inventory for athletes by modifying an existing motivation inventory for use with athletes. I collected data from student athletes at a large public university and conducted Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with Principal Axis Factoring and Promax Rotation to examine the factor structure of the inventory scales. I used the results of the EFA to make changes to the inventory. Subsequently, I conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on a second data set to test for model fit. The fit indices for the CFA demonstrated reasonably good fit to the results, which confirmed the five-factor structure of motivation inventory. Reliability analysis based on Cronbach's alpha showed very good results with alpha ratings ranging between .84 and .94. Overall, the findings provided validity evidence for the produced scores of the MUSIC® Athletic Inventory with student-athletes.
Chinese Students’ Perceptions of the Motivational Climate in College English Courses: Relationships Between Course Perceptions, Engagement, and Achievement
Li, Ming; Jones, Brett D.; Williams, Thomas O.; Guo, Yingjian (Frontiers Media, 2022-05-23)
Effective teachers create a motivational climate that engages students in course activities in ways that lead to increased learning and achievement. Although researchers have identified motivational climate variables that are associated with students’ engagement and achievement, less is known about how these variables are related in different courses and cultures. The purpose of the two studies presented in this paper was to contribute to this research literature by examining these associations within the context of college English courses in two Chinese universities. Specifically, we investigated the relationships between students’ perceptions of the motivational climate (i.e., perceptions of empowerment/autonomy, usefulness, success, interest, and caring), cognitive and behavioral engagement, and achievement. This is the first study to examine the connections between all of these variables in one path model in college English courses in China. We administered surveys at two different Chinese universities (n = 332 and 259) and used regression and path analysis to examine the relationships among the variables. We demonstrated that (a) students’ perceptions of the motivational climate were related to their cognitive engagement, (b) cognitive engagement was related to their behavioral engagement, and (c) behavioral engagement predicted their achievement. These findings are consistent with and extend the growing body of literature on motivational climate and engagement, and they highlight the importance of some motivational climate perceptions over others as significant predictors of cognitive engagement. We conclude that effective English language teachers in China do the following: help students to believe that they can be successful, trigger and maintain students’ interest, and empower students by providing them with choices in activities and assignments.
A Cross-Cultural Validation of the MUSIC® Model of Academic Motivation Inventory: Evidence from Chinese- and Spanish-Speaking University Students
Jones, Brett D.; Li, Ming; Cruz, Juan M. (Hipatia Press, 2017-02-24)
The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which Chinese and Spanish translations of the College Student version of the MUSIC ® Model of Academic Motivation Inventory (MUSIC Inventory; Jones, 2012 ) demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties. We surveyed 300 students at a university in China and 201 students at a university in Colombia using versions of the MUSIC Inventory that were translated into Chinese and Spanish, respectively. To assess the psychometric properties of the inventory, we examined: (a) the internal consistency reliabilities for all of the scales, (b) the fit indices and factor loadings produced from confirmatory factor analysis, and (c) correlations between the MUSIC Inventory scales and behavioral and cognitive engagement. The results provide evidence that the Chinese and Spanish translations of the MUSIC Inventory demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties for use with undergraduate students. Therefore, instructors and researchers can use the translated inventories to assess students’ perceptions of the five MUSIC ® Model of Motivation components.
A Cross-national Study of Mathematics Achievement Via Three-level Multilevel Models
Lee, Youjin (Virginia Tech, 2023-01-18)
The present study explored the effects of the national and cultural contexts on students' mathematics achievement. The study also investigated the nature and magnitude of student-level (level 1), school-level (level 2), and country-level (level 3) factors that are associated with math achievement. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 datasets were used. The main predictors focusing on this study included university admission procedure and the country's culture of mindsets about intelligence at level 3, indicating extra-curricular activities at level 2, growth mindset, and resilience self-efficacy at level 1. Other than main predictors, various predictors including country's characteristics, school characteristics, school climate factors, students' demographic characteristics, and non-cognitive abilities were added in the analysis to examine the main predictors are statistically significant after controlling for other predictors. The findings of HLM analysis showed that mathematics achievement is associated with national and cultural contexts since the study found 31.30% of the total variation was accounted for level 3 in math achievement. Also, the significant findings of the study indicated that university admission procedure was significantly associated with country-mean math achievement while the country's culture of mindsets about intelligence was not at level 3. At level 2, providing extra-curricular activities in school was a significant predictor for math achievement. At level 1, a growth mindset and information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage were positively associated with math achievement. The other significant predictors for math achievement were found in the model. In addition, the study found that the compositional effect of ICT usage explained a significant amount of between schools and countries variance even after controlling for other predictors in the analysis. Moreover, the study found several counterintuitive association phenomena due to shift of meaning. These findings were explained in terms of practical and theoretical implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers to improve students' mathematics achievement.
Developing a Measure of Systems Thinking Competency
Grohs, Jacob R. (Virginia Tech, 2015-05-04)
Institutions of higher education often promise to graduate individuals capable not only of excelling in their area of expertise but also qualified as exceptional leaders and citizens. Yet, what are the competencies needed from leaders in order to address the most challenging issues facing society? How would higher education cultivate the next generation of leaders for a world of problems we currently cannot solve, and how would it be determined if some graduates were 'more prepared' than others to face these challenges? This dissertation seeks to answer these questions through the work of two distinct manuscripts. The first argues that human processes for meaning-making play critical formative roles in the setting and solving of our most complex problems. In essence, that problem-solving can be considered as embodied acts of meaning-making. This link is made through analysis of Bruner's concept of narrative and highlights the importance played by naming and framing through one's unique perspective while attempting to interpret an ill-structured problem. The second manuscript develops a tool to measure 'systems thinking,' a competency that describes the sort of cognitive flexibility that might be beneficial for graduates to be emerging leaders capable of addressing critical societal issues. A framework for considering systems thinking competency is presented and used as the foundation of a scenario-based assessment tool. Results from a qualitative pilot study are shown as part of introducing the tool with primary findings: (a) the tool elicited meaningful data on each of the constructs for which it was designed; (b) emergent within each construct were possible means of characterizing the data that will allow for future study of variation across respondents.
Developing and Validating an Instrument to Measure Academic Self-Regulation
Mokri, Parastou (Virginia Tech, 2012-02-06)
The purposes of this investigation were to develop and validate a comprehensive assessment instrument to measure academic self-regulation as a personal trait. The instrument was predicated upon an evidence-based conceptual framework of academic self-regulation which described the interactions between cognitive, motivational, volitional, and environmental variables and learners' activating purposeful goal oriented actions. Seven separate studies which included over 1000 undergraduate and graduate students at a large mid-Atlantic university provided reliability and validity evidence for this instrument. Data analysis included Rasch analysis, item response and item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis comparing the developed instrument with a version of an instrument frequently used in studies of academic self-regulation, multiple regression analysis predicting the scales of the frequently used instrument through the developed instrument, item-total correlations, and Cronbach's alpha for each scale and for the entire questionnaire. Findings included evidence that the model accurately represented academic self-regulation; that the developed instrument was reliable; that the instrument had excellent content, structural, substantive, and criterion validity; and that the instrument appeared to yield useful information about the degree to which learners engaged academic self-regulation skills. While additional validation studies are warranted, three potential applications of this instrument are: to investigate academic self-regulation variables; to design learning environments to promote academic self-regulation; and to assess and assist individual learners develop academic self-regulation skills and dispositions.
Developing Cultural Competence and Promoting Culturally Responsive Teaching in STEM Educators of Native Hawaiian Students
Kaui, Toni Marie Mapuana (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-05)
The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to determine the degree of culturally responsive teaching practices and level of cultural competence of participants who teach upper elementary (grades three through six) STEM educators of predominantly Native Hawaiian students. The second purpose was to identify differences in cultural competence and culturally responsive teaching practices of those same participants identified above. These two participant groups were from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Keonepoko and Pāhoa Elementary Schools. Both schools are from the Keaʻau-Kaʻu-Pāhoa Complex Area. The educators from Keonepoko were afforded knowledge and experiences from a culture-based professional development program known as the Moenahā School Program, while the educators from Pāhoa were not afforded these same knowledge and experiences. Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, data were collected via an online survey using three instruments: the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy Inventory (CRTSE), the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CCSAQ), and the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Scale Demographic Information (CCSASDI). The data were analyzed using mean scores and those mean scores were compared for differences using a Mann-Whitney U test. The findings indicated the Moenahā participants had a statistically significantly higher level of cultural competence and higher degree of culturally responsive teaching practices than the non-Moenahā participants suggesting the importance of cultural competence professional development iii opportunities. These findings are applicable for teachers in schools with an higher Native Hawaiian student population.
Development of an Instrument to Evidence Knowledge Abstractions in Technological/Engineering Design-Based Activities
Figliano, Fred Joseph (Virginia Tech, 2011-05-02)
This document outlines the development of a Design Log Instrument (DLI) intended for use in identifying moments of abstraction as evidence of STEM content knowledge transfer. Many theoretical approaches to explaining knowledge transfer are rooted in a belief that transfer occurs through knowledge abstraction (Reed, Ernst, & Banerji, 1974; Gick & Holyoak, 1980, 1983). The DLI prompts participants to be reflective during technological/engineering design activities. During the development of this instrument, a three-phase multiple case: embedded design was used. Three distinct Phases accommodated the collection and analysis of data necessary for this investigation: Phase 1: Pilot Case Study, Phase 2: Establishing Content Validity, and Phase 3: Establishing Construct Validity. During Phase 3, data from the DLI was collected at each of seven work sessions from two design teams each working through different engineering problems. At the end of Phase 3, a comparison of abstractions found in DLI responses and observation data (Audio/Video transcripts) indicated the extent to which the DLI independently reflected those abstractions revealed in observations (Audio/Video transcripts). Results of this comparison showed that the DLI has the potential to be 68% reliable to reveal abstracted knowledge. Further analysis of these findings showed ancillary correlations between the percent abstractions found per DLI reflective prompt and the percent abstractions found per T/E design phase. Specifically, DLI Reflective Prompts 2 and 3 correlate with T/E Design Phases 3 and 4 (58% and 76% respectively of the total abstractions) which deal with design issues related to investigating the problem and developing alternate solutions. DLI Reflective Prompts 4 and 5 correlate with T/E Design Phases 5 and 6 (22% and 24% respectively of total abstractions) which deal with design issues related to choosing a solution and developing a prototype. Findings also indicate that there are highs and lows of abstraction throughout the T/E design process. The implications of these highs and lows are that specific phases of the T/E design process can be targeted for research and instruction. By targeting specific T/E design phases, a researcher or instructor can increase the likelihood of fostering abstractions as evidence of STEM content knowledge transfer.
Dialogue Journals: Literacy Transactions of Fourth-Grade Students
Sigmon, Miranda Lee (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-05)
This study was designed to explore written responses of dialogue journals in a fourth-grade social studies classroom to better understand individuals' meaning-making responses during content-based lessons. The Transactional Theory of Literacy acknowledges that readers generate individualized experiences as they transact with literacy. Although Rosenblatt focused explicitly on the transactions readers make with text, this study expands the idea of these transactions to the more current, unbounded definition of text. Writing could be the tool used for students to record these transactions that lead to their continuously changing, individualized understandings. Through journals, students conversed with one another using written dialogue in the continued generation or restructuring of existing understandings in response to exposure of a content-specific text. The following research questions were addressed in the study: How do written responses of fourth-grade students made in dialogue journals express students' understandings of content-based lessons? 2) To what extent do dialogue journals motivate students in content-based lessons? Analysis of dialogue journals showed evidence of varying levels of understanding, the effective use of journals as a communication tool, and differences in statement types depending on journal audience and content materials used. The MUSIC Model Inventory (Jones, 2009) used to assess perceptions of motivational constructs related to use of dialogue journals in social studies lessons yielded positive results for all constructs measured. Therefore, the results of the study including word count findings, qualitative journal analysis, and observational files clearly showed evidence of dialogue journals being a motivating way of having students express their understandings of content-based texts.
The Effect of Active Learning on Academic Motivation Among Pre-Service Teachers
Caruso, Caryn Marie (Virginia Tech, 2021-04-15)
The active learning assignment, Pink Time, provides an opportunity to experience and reflect upon learning that may both benefit individuals and contribute to high-quality teaching. Previous studies have found that Pink Time supports university students' motivation and comprehension of the learning process (Baird et al., 2020, Baird et al., 2015). The present study examined the impact of an active learning assignment, Pink Time, on pre-service elementary teachers' motivated-related perceptions. A multiple method approach offers an understanding of the extent to which Pink Time influences the three psychological needs that are a part of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This theory provides a framework to examine three key components of motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. A sample of 28 pre-service teachers participated in two Pink Time iterations over two different courses. Quantitative data was collected through 21 responses on the MUSIC Model of Academic Inventory (Jones, 2012, 2020) with open-ended response questions to perceptions related to empowerment (autonomy), usefulness, success (competence), interest, and caring (relatedness). Qualitative data was collected using five interviews, four group discussions, and 21 responses to the open-ended survey questions on the MUSIC Model Inventory. The findings imply that Pink Time is a useful tool to support pre-service teachers' perception of motivation in areas of empowerment, usefulness, success, interest, and caring. Implications of this study include contributions to classroom assignments in teacher education programs that support motivation which results in high-quality teachers. Pink Time may also be used in the PK-12 setting for both students and teachers. Supporting PK-12 students in pursuing interests and increasing motivation is pertinent to academic success. Educational leaders could offer teachers professional development opportunities through Pink Time where teachers seek out their interests to support their own professional growth and uniquely contribute to school-level outcomes such as inclusive learning environments, effective online/virtual learning, and wellness.
Effects of an Active Learning Approach on Students’ Motivation in an Engineering Course
Tendhar, Chosang; Singh, Kusum; Jones, Brett D. (Redfame, 2019-01-31)
Because there are many positive effects of active learning approaches on students’ motivation and achievement, some authors have recommended that these approaches be widely implemented. A research-intensive university located in the Mid-Atlantic US was interested in adopting this instructional technique, and therefore, experimented with it. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare and contrast the effects of an active learning approach on the motivation of students in a treatment and control group. The results of multiple independent sample t-tests showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups on several motivation constructs. We provide explanations for the lack of significant differences, as well as discuss limitations and future research.
The effects of an afterschool STEM program on students’ motivation and engagement
Chittum, Jessica R.; Jones, Brett D.; Akalin, Sehmuz; Schram, Ásta B. (SpringerOpen, 2017-06-12)
Background: Calculus is a foundational course for STEM-intending students yet has been shown to dissuade students from pursuing STEM degrees. In this report, we examine factors related to students and instructors reporting a lack of time in class for students to understand difficult ideas and relate this to students’ and instructors’ perceptions of opportunities to learn using a hierarchical linear model. This work is part of the US national study on college calculus, which provides an ideal landscape to examine these questions on a large scale. Results: We find a number of student factors associated with students experiencing negative opportunities to learn, such as student gender, lacking previous calculus experience, and reports of poor and non-student-centered teaching. Factors weakly associated with instructor reports of lack of time were a common final and reporting that approximately half of the students lacked the ability to succeed in the course. Conclusions: This analysis offers insight into how we might create more positive opportunities to learn in our own classrooms. This includes preparing students before they enter calculus, so they feel confident in their abilities, as well as weakening the internal framing of the course by engaging in teaching practices that provide students opportunities to communicate and influence their learning (e.g., discussion and group work). We argue that this is especially important in introductory college calculus courses that are packed with material, taught to a diverse population of students in terms of demographics, mathematical preparation, and career goals.
The Effects Of Gender, Engineering Identification, And Engineering Program Expectancy On Engineering Career Intentions: Applying Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) In Engineering Education Research
Tendhar, Chosang; Paretti, Marie C.; Jones, Brett D. (Clute Institute, 2017-12)
This study had three purposes and four hypotheses were tested. Three purposes: (1) To use hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to investigate whether students’ perceptions of their engineering career intentions changed over time; (2) To use HLM to test the effects of gender, engineering identification (the degree to which an individual values a domain as an important part of the self), and engineering program expectancy (one’s belief in the possibility of his or her success in engineering) on the growth trajectory of students’ engineering career intentions; and (3) To introduce the uses of longitudinal design and growth curve analysis in engineering education research. Survey data was collected at four time points using measures that produce scores with known validity. Sample sizes at each time point were 470, 239, 129, and 115, respectively. We used SPSS 22.0 to perform descriptive statistics and reliability analyses, and HLM version 7.0 to analyze growth. Between their first and third years, undergraduate students’ perceived engineering career intentions neither grew nor declined significantly, with no significant difference between male and female students. Engineering identification significantly predicted individual differences when controlling for engineering program expectancy, whereas engineering program expectancy did not predict career intentions when controlling for engineering identification. These findings are possibly signs of overall stabilization of the declining trends in career intentions and reversal of women’s perceptions of commitment to engineering careers. The contributions and limitations of this study are also discussed.
Effects of Motivational Beliefs and Instructional Practice on Students' Intention to Pursue Majors and Careers in Engineering
Tendhar, Chosang (Virginia Tech, 2015-04-24)
This dissertation examined the differences in group mean scores of traditional and pilot groups on the students' motivational beliefs and their intention to pursue majors and careers in engineering. The difference between the two groups was in terms of instruction techniques used. The instructional techniques used for the traditional group was that of traditional engineering design (TED), while the technique used for the pilot group had more features of an active learning approach. Further, it tested the tenability of the domain identification model. The domain identification model was used to understand students' decision-making processes in committing to engineering majors and engineering careers. The data for this study was collected via online survey from first-year engineering students enrolled in an introductory engineering course at a research-intensive university located in southeastern US. The sample sizes of the traditional group and pilot group at the beginning of the semester were 875 and 188, respectively. The sample sizes of the traditional group and pilot group at the end of the semester were 812 and 242, respectively. The mean differences between the two groups were computed using t-tests via SPSS version 22.0. The causality hypothesized among variables in the domain identification model were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. The measurement and structural models were estimated using LISREL version 9.1. This study followed the two-step SEM approach that Anderson and Gerbing (1988) suggested. A measurement model with an acceptable fit to the data was obtained followed by an estimation and evaluation of structural models. All the independent sample t-tests were not statistically significant indicating that the mean scores of students in the two groups did not differ significantly on any of the motivational and intention variables. The hypothesized measurement and structural models provided a good fit to the data. A few post-hoc revisions were made to the models. This study brought empirical evidence that the domain identification model can be used to understand students' major-and career-decision making processes. Engineering identification was a better predictor of major intention and career intention compared to engineering program utility, engineering program belonging, and engineering program expectancy.
The Effects of Seductive Details and Segmentation on Interest, Recall and Transfer in a Multimedia Learning Environment
Lusk, Danielle Leigh (Virginia Tech, 2008-03-19)
Multimedia learning theory, and the research that has supported it, is largely focused on the cognitive elements of learning. Although motivation has been mentioned as a factor in learning in a multimedia environment, motivation has not been measured as a distinctive variable in most studies. Specific attributes of multimedia, including seductive details and segmentation, have been hypothesized to increase interest; however, only studies examining these attributes— effects on learning (measured by recall and transfer) have been conducted. The present study aimed to extend the examination of the use of seductive details and segmentation in multimedia learning by measuring interest in addition to recall and transfer. The participants were 167 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to four treatment groups involving a tutorial on the formation of lightning, which differed according to the multimedia attributes featured in the tutorial. Treatment groups included seductive details and segmentation (SD+S), seductive details and no segmentation (SD+NS), no seductive details and segmentation (NSD+S), and no seductive details and no segmentation (NSD+NS). Participants took an interest questionnaire before engaging with the tutorial and immediately following the tutorial. Tests of recall and transfer were used to measure learning after the tutorial. Two trained raters evaluated responses. Data from the study were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and correlation procedures. The results of the study revealed no significant differences among treatment groups in regards to interest, recall, or transfer. There was no significant relationship between interest and recall or interest and transfer. Although the results did not provide support for existing literature on seductive details and segmentation effects or reveal that these attributes increase interest, the implications of the findings present several valuable areas for future research.
Effects of Students' Identity Salience on Their Attitudes Toward and Experience in Face-to-face Peer Collaborative Learning Activities
Wang, FeiHong (Virginia Tech, 2010-03-18)
This sequential, mixed methods study explored students' attitudes towards collaborative learning and their responses to collaborative learning problems in relation to their identity salience. Identities are motivators of human actions that impact an individual's self-esteem and behavioral tendencies (Stryker, 1968). An individual has three identity aspects that are related to different behavioral tendencies: individual, relational, and collective aspects. The identity aspect that an individual acts out across a variety of situations is their identity salience. Implied by the identity salience theory, students' behaviors may be detrimental or beneficial to the effectiveness of collaborative learning based on their identity salience. Results of the study revealed a possible relationship between students' identity salience and their attitudes, prior experiences, working preferences, and priorities in collaborative learning. In addition, results of the study also disclosed students' behavioral tendencies in dealing with collaborative learning problems including group tension, the free-rider effect, and role taking in relation to students' identity salience. Findings of this study can be used to support further investigations on personalized student grouping for effective collaborative learning.
The Effects of Students' MUSIC Model Perceptions on Their Academic Identification and Achievement
Snyder, Jennifer Dee (Virginia Tech, 2015-12-18)
The widespread effects of student failure and dropout have social, judicial, and economic implications. This study addressed factors that can affect students academic identification, an element that can influence dropout among U.S. high school students identified as at-risk. Research indicates that student motivation and academic identification may be linked to improvements in students academic achievement and reductions in dropout rates. The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to address high dropout rates among at-risk, high school students by exploring the extent to which students motivational beliefs in school predicted their academic identification and achievement. Specifically, I explored the extent to which the MUSICSM Model of Academic Motivation Inventory (MUSIC Inventory) produced valid scores among at-risk high school students, and the extent to which students motivational beliefs about school predicted their academic identification and achievement. This quantitative study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) and involved a sample of 100 at-risk students from an alternative high school in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Data were collected via paper surveys, which I administered to students during October, 2015. All survey data were entered into SPSS 23 for analysis. Results indicated that Cronbach's alpha coefficients were low for all MUSIC Model components except for care, which demonstrated modest reliability. Data analysis also indicated that three of the five components of the MUSIC Model " usefulness, success, and caring" were positively associated with academic identification. Thus, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that teachers may be able to have a positive effect on the academic success of at-risk high school students by finding ways to improve students perceptions of usefulness, success, and care. Educational stakeholders can utilize findings from the present study to prompt an exploration of ways to improve these motivational components to promote greater academic success among this student population.
Elementary Preservice Teachers' Thinking about Student Learning in a Lesson Study Context
Aker, Lisa Denise (Virginia Tech, 2018-07-02)
Building on the epistemological foundations of constructivism (Creswell, 2014) and qualitative research methodologies, a FADE framework (Reinking and Bradley, 2008) and a case study approach (Merriam, 2002) were selected to develop an understanding of preservice teachers' thinking about student learning during their planning, teaching, and reflection through the lesson study (Lewis, 2009) process. Through qualitative methodology, the triangulation of data occurred using qualitative data sources: (a) pre and post interviews, (b) participatory field notes, (c) research lesson plans, (d) debriefing interviews, (e) field notes created by the preservice teachers. Each data source was analyzed individually and then compared across the case providing a deeper understanding of how preservice teachers think about student learning in the context of lesson study including how: (a) preservice teacher grew their thinking about student learning, (b) preservice teachers were better able to observe and look for evidence of thinking about students' learning, (c) the lesson study process allowed them to work as a team, (d) they associated lesson study with being a positive learning experience. This research provides additional insight into how teacher preparation programs can strengthen preservice teachers learning in classrooms through lesson study (Darling-Hammond, 2009; Lewis, 2009; Lewis et al., 2012). It also provides opportunities for further research on connecting planning, reflection, and teaching practices as well as, how to build connections between mentor teachers, preservice teachers, and teacher preparation programs (Parks, 2009).

Browsing by Author "Jones, Brett D."

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