Motivation in education

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of instructional leadership
on student achievement through the instructional leadership of principals, assistant
principals and math department heads at the high school level. The Principal
Instructional Management Rating Scale was used to quantify instructional leadership in
ten different job functions.
The research questions were as follows:
1. Can the instructional leadership of principals, assistant principals, and math
department heads be described at the high school level?
2. Whose instructional leadership has the greatest relationship to student
achievement, principals, assistant principals, or math department heads?
3. Does team alignment in instructional leadership matter to student
achievement? 4. Does socioeconomic status moderate the relationship between the job function
and student achievement?
Instructional leadership questionnaires were distributed to the principal, the
assistant principal in charge of curriculum, and the math department head in all public
high schools in five of the seven largest counties in Florida. The unit of study was the
instructional leadership role linkage between the principal, the assistant principal, and the
department head as it related to student achievement.
The study found that (a) principals exhibit instructional leadership behaviors at a
higher frequency than assistant principals and math department heads, (b) instructional
leadership team alignment does not correlate to math achievement, and (c) principals'
and assistant principals' behaviors correlate to math achievement, but math department
heads do not. The study also found that student achievement is moderated by
socioeconomic status.
These findings suggest that the administrative setup in schools should be
examined. The alignment of instructional leadership behaviors did not significantly
correlate with student achievement; however, the correlation was positive in eight of the
ten job functions. Differentiation of roles may be the key to understanding why
alignment and achievement are positively correlated.
Mixed method studies may also need to be used in future research, as this study
contradicted other studies in the area of the department head's influence. Finally, the role
of the department head should be studied in depth. This role may be the critical, yet
indirect link to student achievement.

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship of Social Cognitive Career
Theory, student engagement, and academic outcomes of community college students
emolled in developmental courses over one academic year. Through the combined use of
Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Student Engagement Theory, the researcher
seeks to determine whether there are significant relationships between non-academic
factors and academic success. An online version of the Community College Survey of
Student Engagement in combination with a SCCT instrument was completed by 936
students. The collection of data involved a web based database program. An analysis of
the data included descriptive and correlational methods to examine these relationships.
The results of the study revealed that neither SCCT, nor engagement factors
contributed to the students' grade point average (GPA) and persistence. Additionally, when moderated by contextual factors, SCCT and Engagement demonstrated no
influence on students' final GPA and persistence during the period of study. The data
provided no evidence for an academic outcome predictive model involving SCCT,
engagement or contextual factors for community college developmental students.

For 306 twelfth grade students, secondary science
achievement by sex, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) was
compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the
relationship of a set of 22 predictor variables to science
achievement was investigated using multiple linear
regression. That the reduced regression model with its primarily
cognitive characteristics exhibited the highest significant
correlation coefficients in predicting science achievement
for low SES, black students is a finding that is at odds with
much of the current literature, as is also the finding that
females outperform males in science achievement. These
anomalies, along with the implications of differences in
science achievement based on sex and race, are discussed.

The present experimental study examined the effects of using a science textbook for
the purpose of teaching reading comprehension skills to a sample of 99 fourth grade
students from four classrooms at Pembroke Pines/Florida State University Charter School
in Broward County, Florida. Ninety-nine students were assessed twice in word
recognition, oral reading, silent reading, spelling, and word meaning using the Diagnostic
Assessment of Reading. Approximately half of the students in the sample (n=49) were in
the control group with the remainder (n=50) in the experimental group.
Overall there was no significant difference between the experimental and control
groups based on MANOVA, which tested an optimized composite of dependent
variables. Scores for all subtests for both groups increased from the pretest to the posttest,
and the highest scores were for the oral reading subtest. Upon individual ANOVA,
statistically significant effect for time was found for word recognition, oral reading, spelling, and word meaning subtests, but no statistically significant group effect or
interaction was observed.

The purpose of this study was to examine non-identifying archival data from the
2012-2013 school year to assess the effect participation in the Student Success
Skills (SSS) school counselor-led classroom guidance program (Brigman & Webb,
2010) had on the behavioral and cognitive engagement of grade 5 Exceptional
Student Education (ESE) students serviced within the general education classroom
setting. Data for this study was collected at three different intervals. School
attendance data was collected on students during the 2012, 2013, and 2014 school
years when students were enrolled in grades 4, 5, and 6 respectively. Pre-test selfreport
data was collected within two weeks prior to implementation of the SSS
program. Posttest self-report data was collected within two weeks immediately
following completion of the intervention and post-posttest self-report data was
collected 30 weeks post-intervention. School counselors and classroom teachers
were trained in the SSS program. Students received five 45 minute classroom lessons delivered one week apart followed by three booster sessions delivered one
month apart. Lessons were designed to teach cognitive, social, self-management,
and test-taking skills. This study followed a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
design. For the purposes of this study behavioral engagement was measured by
school attendance data. Cognitive engagement was measured by the Test Anxiety
and Metacognitive Activity scales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning
Questionnaire (MSLQ) (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990) and the Self-Regulation of
Arousal scale of the Student Engagement in School Success Skills (SESSS) survey
(Carey, Webb, Brigman, & Harrington, 2010). A series of multivariate analysis of
covariance (MANCOVA) tests were conducted to determine whether or not there
were statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups.
While no statistically significant differences were evident on the Metacognitive
Activity scale, results indicated a statistically significant decrease in absences and
test anxiety for students in the treatment group. Additionally, a statistically
significant increase was evident on the Self-Regulation of Arousal scale for
students in the treatment group. This study suggests that research-based school
counseling programs delivered in small or large groups using inclusionary practices
may be beneficial in supporting the academic achievement and social-emotional
adjustment of ESE students.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the Student Success Skills
(SSS) classroom intervention on grade 5 African American students’ self-regulation, test
anxiety and school attendance. This study analyzed pre-existing, non-identifiable student
data collected by school counselors at 30 elementary schools in South Florida. A
multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to determine differences in
self-regulation, test anxiety, and school attendance between the students who participated
in the SSS classroom intervention compared to those students who did not participate.
Statistically significant differences were found between groups in all three factors and
support the use of SSS classroom school counseling intervention with grade 5 African
American students. Effect size estimates were reported for each of the measures.

Charter schools have often boasted about differentiating themselves in the educational
marketplace. With today’s growing emphasis on student achievement, whether this
differentiation has had a positive effect on student learning is still debatable. The purpose
of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to establish if innovation is a reported
practice in charter schools in Miami-Dade and Sarasota Counties in Florida and to
determine if a relationship exists between innovation reporting and student achievement
as measured by Florida school grades. A qualitative analysis of School Improvement
Plans and school websites for a 62 school sample was utilized. As well as a quantitative
measure of the correlation between level of reported innovation in eight categories
(organizational structure, ideology and culture, leadership models, professional
development for teachers, curriculum, technology, parent involvement, and other) and
student achievement, as measured by Florida’s school grade formula. The study found
that charter schools in both counties reported innovation at high levels with only three schools reporting innovations in fewer than five categories of innovation. An examination
of opposing forces of loose and rigid structure, autonomy and policy control, as well as
creativity and standardization led to findings of less reported instances of innovation on
average in schools with looser structure, autonomy, and creativity. Furthermore, Title I
schools and high minority student population schools (≥50%) showed signs of innovation
saturation, with no value added to student achievement (school grade averages) by
reported innovation beyond a moderate level. Still, reported innovation level (overall
categories of innovation) and student achievement (school grade averages) showed a
negligible relationship (r = -.062). In conclusion, reported innovation existed in charter
schools despite opposing forces, but was often similar across charter schools. In fact,
past a moderate level of innovation, there was no value added to school grades for Title I
and high minority charter schools. Yet, a weak, negative relationship existed between
specific reported innovations in combination (professional development in pedagogy,
tutoring programs, non-district behavior programs and incentive, and multiple levels) and
student achievement (school grade averages) which can inform us on the nature of
reporting.

The conceptual framework of this study suggested that Socio-Cultural Leadership
was composed of the following four factors: Instructional Domain, Emotional Domain,
Community Domain, and Cultural Domain. Furthermore, it was posed that these factors,
collectively and independently, directly impacted student achievement in schools ofhigh
poverty. From this framework, the Socio-Cultural Leadership Questionnaire was
developed (SCLQ). The research questions that guided this study were:
1. Do the items of the survey instrument divide into the four domains as
described?
2. What is the relationship, collectively and independently, between SocioCultural
Leadership and student achievement in high-poverty schools?
3. Is the frequency in observed principal behaviors different between lowperforming
and high-performing schools? Therefore, the purpose of this study was to, via exploratory factor analysis; verify
that these four factors existed as described and to, via regression analysis, find the direct
relationship between the resulting factors and student achievement in high poverty
schools. High poverty schools were defined as schools where 50 percent ( 40 percent for
high schools) or more of the student population participated the federally funded Free
and/or Reduced Price Lunch Program. This study also sought to differentiate these
findings according to the performance levels of the schools sampled.
The pilot study, the descriptive statistics, the principal components analysis, and
the measures of internal consistency, all provided the researcher with empirical evidence
to establish the reliability and validity of specific SCLQ items along with the significance
of the resulting factors. Two of the five SCLQ subscales that resulted from the factor
analysis, OP (outreach to parents) and MIPD (management of instructional process
detractors), positively correlated with student achievement in the total sample (n = 903).
There is a less than 5 percent chance that these findings were due to a Type I sampling
error. Finally, principals in high-performing schools exhibited behaviors indicated by
subscales OP (outreach to parents) and MIPD (management of instructional process
detractors) significantly more than principals in low-performing schools.

An intrinsic case study was conducted to understand what helps Early Care and Education (ECE) English as a Second Language (ESL) students to enroll in a customized ECE ESL course at a local state college and what barriers may hinder their success in the course. This research examined whether the following were either motivators or barriers or both in ECE ESL participants enrolling in an ECE ESL customized course: course design and delivery, student support systems, student self-motivation, student self- efficacy, time and schedule commitment, instructor and student relationship, availability of resources, and level of classroom involvement. The results revealed that the students were highly motivated to enroll and complete the course successfully. Across the board, there was (1) a sense of gratitude from the participants for being afforded an opportunity to learn the English language, (2) evidence of knowledge of their future goals, and (3) their knowledge that learning English was their first step in achieving their goals.

Given the diverse and substantial developmental outcomes associated with low peer acceptance, it is important to research its potential predictors. However, the developmental antecedents are not likely restricted to simple, one-lagged links within the same domain. Rather, peer status may stem from a developmental sequence of effects across several domains, particularly across those that develop at the same time and in the same environment as peer status. A developmental cascade model is best used to capture sequential changes over time, across multiple domains, and during sensitive periods of development Academic motivation and achievement likely exemplify predictors that would affect peer status sequentially over time during the early primary school years. This study examined the developmental cascade of task avoidance, academic achievement, and peer acceptance using a sample of 545 (311 boys, 234 girls) Finnish students in the 1st through 4th grade (M = 7.67, SD = 0.31 years old at the outset).