Student motivation, confidence, and perceived control are of key interest to sociology instructors seeking to develop pedagogical techniques that increase student engagement. However, attribution research suggests that strengthening these aspects of student learning can be challenging if students attribute academic outcomes to factors over which they have little control, as this can weaken students’ motivation and sense of mastery. In this study, I examine an “exam wrapper” survey and discussion exercise that draws upon attributional processes to contextualize learning as influenced by broader social forces. Student responses to this survey exercise detail the attributions students made for academic outcomes and suggest this activity may be effective at promoting student confidence, motivation, and sense of mastery. This exercise fosters a sociological understanding of individual attributions and academic achievement that empowers students to feel more in control of their learning within the structural and educational contexts in which learning occurs.

学生的动机、信心和感知控制是社会学教师寻求开发提高学生参与度的教学技术的关键。然而，归因研究表明，如果学生将学业成绩归因于他们几乎无法控制的因素，那么加强学生学习的这些方面可能具有挑战性，因为这会削弱学生的积极性和掌握感。在这项研究中，我研究了一项“考试包装”调查和讨论练习，该练习利用归因过程将受更广泛社会力量影响的学习情境化。学生对这项调查练习的回答详细说明了学生对学业成绩的归因，并建议这项活动可能有效地提高学生的信心、动力和掌握感。