| Title |
Means, Whitney_MED_2019 |
| Alternative Title |
Teacher Perspectives on Fostering Engagement and Motivation in Secondary Students |
| Creator |
Means, Whitney |
| Collection Name |
Master of English |
| Description |
Motivation and engagement influence student learning and academic performance, yet instruction continues to remain teacher-centered in many secondary classrooms resulting in traditional learning environments that fail to foster empowerment and selfdetermination in students. This study investigated how knowledgeable, experienced, and efficacious secondary teachers used the student-centered techniques of project-based learning (PjBL), problem-based learning (PBL), cooperative learning, and differentiated instruction. The study sought to identify barriers that challenged implementation of learner-centered strategies, and which strategies teachers wanted to explore to help them promote engagement and motivation in secondary students. This descriptive methods research project took place at a Title I charter school in Utah. Twenty-two educators of grades 7-9 responded to a survey, and a six-teacher subset participated in a focus group. The researcher discovered most teachers were familiar with PjBL, PBL, cooperative learning, and differentiated instruction yet rarely or sometimes implemented the strategies. Educators aspired to engage and motivate students with techniques like cooperative learning, real-world application, choice, and self-paced instruction. However, pressures of time and content, concerns about classroom management and autonomy, and lack of understanding due to unproductive training challenged strategy implementation. Despite these roadblocks, teachers expressed interest in learning about and mastering instructional methods that foster engagement and motivation through effective professional development. |
| Subject |
Student-centered learning; Education--Research--Methodology; Educational evaluation |
| Keywords |
Motivation and engagement; Student-centered teaching |
| Digital Publisher |
Stewart Library, Weber State University |
| Date |
2019 |
| Language |
eng |
| Rights |
The author has granted Weber State University Archives a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce their theses, in whole or in part, in electronic or paper form and to make it available to the general public at no charge. The author retains all other rights. |
| Source |
University Archives Electronic Records; Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Stewart Library, Weber State University |
| Format |
application/pdf |
| ARK |
ark:/87278/s6m70sg5 |
| Setname |
wsu_smt |
| ID |
96768 |
| Reference URL |
https://digital.weber.edu/ark:/87278/s6m70sg5 |
