Date of Award
9-13-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Amany Saleh
Second Advisor
Tania Reis
Committee Members
Jacques Singleton
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 B45
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of student perceptions of the classroom motivational climate on engagement and academic achievement in secondary STEM courses. Additionally, the mediating effect of students’ perceptions of the ease of the course on the relationship between engagement and academic achievement was assessed. Through an increased understanding of the relationship between student perceptions of the motivational climate and engagement in a STEM classroom, educators are better equipped to make instructional and curricular decisions to create a more engaging, inclusive, and equitable learning experience, leading to improved academic achievement. The study employed a quantitative causal comparative design using 143 samples obtained from a large urban high school in Arkansas with a high minority (~92% Black & Hispanic) student population. Data consisted of students’ perceptions of the classroom motivational climate and self-reported behavioral and cognitive engagement, and student’s final semester grade (academic achievement). Using a 6-point Likert scale, a questionnaire consisting of a motivation inventory (MUSIC® Model of Academic Motivation Inventory), behavioral and cognitive engagement scales, and an ease of course scale was digitally administered to participating students. Using path analysis, the hypothesized causal pathways between students’ perceptions of the classroom motivational climate, behavioral and cognitive engagement, and academic achievement were analyzed, as was the mediating effect of students’ ease of course perceptions on behavioral and cognitive engagement and academic achievement. A significant relationship was found between students’ motivational perception of the usefulness of the course and behavioral engagement, and behavioral engagement and academic achievement. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between students’ motivational perception of a sense of empowerment, usefulness of the course, and interest in the course and cognitive engagement, however, cognitive engagement was not significantly related to academic achievement. Model fit indices were acceptable for both hypothesized causal pathways involving motivational perceptions, behavioral or cognitive engagement, and academic achievement. Finally, students’ ease of course perceptions was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between behavioral and cognitive engagement and academic achievement. However, more data is needed to accurately describe the nature of this relationship. The study provides evidence for the relationship between student perceptions of the classroom motivational climate, engagement, and academic achievement and the mediating effect of students’ ease of course perceptions. By better understanding the relationship between motivational perceptions and engagement, more effective instructional and curricular decisions can be made while controlling for students’ perceptions of the course difficulty, leading to improved academic achievement in STEM education.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Belt, Cecil Kevin, "The Relationship Between Secondary Stem Students Motivational Perceptions, Engagement, And Academic Achievement" (2024). Student Theses and Dissertations. 59.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/59
