Perceptions of 9th and 10th grade students on how their environment, cognition, and behavior motivate them in algebra and geometry courses.

摘要

In this study, relationships were examined between students' perception of their cognition, behavior, environment, and motivation. The purpose of the research study was to explore the extent to which 9th and 10th grade students' perception of environment, cognition, and behavior can predict their motivation in Algebra and Geometry courses. A single method of data collection utilized in the study of student motivation in mathematics was the student survey approach using Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The student survey used was composed of a combination of the aforementioned questionnaires, consisting of 4 scales, 17 constructs, and 53 items. The study involved a quantitative correlational design that was explanatory in intent. Four hundred seven 9th and 10th grade students of Myriad High School in Southern California completed the survey in 2011. The survey results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The hypothesis anchoring this study found that perception of student motivation was positively correlated with perception of student environment, cognition, and behavior. Regression analysis revealed that while the model associated with all predictors significantly predicted Motivation, the models associated with Cognition and Environment also significantly predicted Motivation. However, on a practical level, model associated with Behavior did not effectively predict Motivation.