Motivation in education.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a school counselor led classroom intervention, Student Success Skills (SSS) program (Brigman & Webb, 2010), on Grade 5 Hispanic student’s self-regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. The study used non identifying archival data from a random controlled trial (RCT) collected at 30 elementary schools in one school district during the school year 2012-2013. Attendance was collected at the end of the school year when students completed Grades 4, 5, and 6. Data were collected at three points: pretest, posttest1, and posttest 2. A series of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) tests and univariate analyses were conducted to determine statistical significance between the treatment group and comparison group in self- regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. Effect sizes using a partial eta square were calculated for each dependent variable. The results support the Student Success Skills (SSS) classroom program (Brigman & Webb, 2010) implemented by certified school counselors was documented.

As adolescents transition to middle school, math confidence and performance
declines (Eccles et al., 1993; Lee, Statuto, & Kadar-Voivodas, 1983). These declines are
typically attributed to social and maturational changes (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991;
Simmons & Blyth, 1987). In this dissertation, I explore the hypothesis that low parent
support for schoolwork is also responsible.
Latino-American adolescents are especially at risk for math difficulties.
Maintaining adolescents’ engagement and performance in math are important goals for
mothers because high levels of both are requisites for many professional careers. This
dissertation will focus on Latino-American families to determine if mothers’ homework
involvement is associated with changes in children’s math-related outcomes across the
transition to secondary school. Parental involvement in math homework is assumed to mitigate declines in math
performance during this transition. Cognitive models suggest that involved parents utilize
scaffolding (Rogoff & Gardner, 1984) and instruction to ensure math achievement
(Pomerantz & Moorman, 2010). Motivational models suggest that involved parents foster
math engagement by bolstering child confidence, modeling management strategies, and
promoting values that encourage children to work hard (Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994;
Simpkins, Fredricks, & Eccles, 2015). However, empirical evidence in support of the
importance of parents in math achievement is limited. While positive forms of
involvement co-occur with better math outcomes (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2005; Rice et al.,
2013), no studies have examined such associations longitudinally. Children who are
uninterested in math may be more susceptible to the effects of parental homework
involvement because they lack internal motivation for mastery that underlies performance
in other children.
The present study examines the extent to which Latina-American mothers’
involvement in math homework is effective in preventing declines in child math-related
outcomes (i.e., perceptions of math ability, etc) during the transition to middle school.
Child math interest was postulated to moderate this association. Results indicated that
low maternal homework involvement predicts worsening child math-related outcomes,
but only for children who were intrinsically uninterested in math.
The findings hold important implications for parents, who must work to ensure
that they remain engaged in their children’s activities, especially if children appear
uninterested in math.

A report issued in 2012 by the United States Government Accountability Office
(US Government Accountability Office, 2012) concluded that the United States is not
producing enough graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) to meet the demands of its economy. According to the National Center for
Educational Statistics (2001), fewer than fifty percent of students nationally possess a
solid command of mathematical content. This study tested whether the insertion of
Academic Service Learning (ASL) into intermediate algebra courses improved students’
performance, their motivation to learn the subject, and attitudes towards mathematics
learning. ASL is an educational strategy that integrates meaningful community service
with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities (Duffy, Barrington, West, Heredia, & Barry,
2011). The subjects in this study were thirty-four students enrolled in intermediate
algebra at a large public university in southeast Florida. The participant group consisted
of fifteen students who completed the requirements of the ASL program and the
comparison group consisted of nineteen students who initially showed interest in the
program but dropped out of the study early in the semester.
Through a mixed method analysis, the study found that the proportion of students
who passed the course in the ASL group was greater than the proportion of students in
the non-ASL group. Similarly, the mean final course grade in the ASL group was higher
than the mean final course grade in the non-ASL group.
The results of the qualitative analyses showed that all the participants enjoyed the
ASL experience. In addition, some participants felt that the ASL project raised their
motivation to learn mathematics and increased their competence in mathematics.
However, both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that the students’
participation in the ASL project did not affect their attitudes towards mathematics
learning. The study concluded that Academic Service Learning has the potential to help
improve students’ success rates in developmental mathematics courses as well as increase
their motivation to learn the subject.