MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS IN PHYSICS LEARNING: A SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY APPROACH

TitleMOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS IN PHYSICS LEARNING: A SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY APPROACH
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsByman, R, Lavonen, J, Juuti, K, Meisalo, V
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume11
Issue4
Start Page379-392
Date PublishedDecember/2012
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersICID: 1023450
Keywordsmotivational orientations, multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, science learning, self-determination theory
Abstract

The first objective of the present study was to test the factorial validity of the inventory designed to measure students’ motivation to study physics in school. Based on self-determination theory (SDT), it was hypothesised that the four factors of External Regulation, Introjected Regulation, Identified Regulation and Intrinsic Motivation account for the covariances among the items of the inventory. It was also expected that gender moderates the factorial validity of the inventory. A sample of 3626 Finnish comprehensive school students was used. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MLCFA) was used to investigate the fit of the hypothesised four-factor model. The second objective of the present study was to investigate different educational correlates of the four motivation factors. Girls had a statistically higher mean score than did boys for all four factors. Otherwise only minor gender differences were found. Implications for physics teaching are discussed.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2014/987-1419169253.pdf
DOI10.33225/jbse/12.11.379
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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