An examination of effective team perceptions and actions on motivating students to learn in a middle school

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine effective team perceptions and actions on motivating students to learn ina middle school. In this study, an effective team is a group of two to five teachers responsible for sharing a common group of students in the core subjects -- mathematics, science, language, and social studies, share common planning, have teamed together three or more years, and have teaming training. In this study, motivation is the acts or intentions that cause student engagement in classroom activities. This study examines teachers perceptions and actions for motivating students to learn within a theoretical framework.

Three teams at a Virginia middle school were examined by survey, interview, observation, and review. Analysis of qualitative descriptive data revealed that the three teams at the study site motivate students to learn in four theoretical patterns and one pattern outside the theoretical framework. (1) In the team context, the teams motivated students to learn using task oriented motivational constructs. (2) In the class context, the teams motivated students to learn using task-oriented motivation. (3) In the individual student context, the teams motivated students to learn using ability performance motivational constructs. (4) In the whole school context, these three teams motivated students to learn using ability performance motivational constructs. In the findings clarification review, these three teams reported a fifth pattern. This pattern involved effective teacher practices for motivating students to learn which were influenced by effective administrative practices.