Abstract

The study of classroom processes that shape students’ motivational beliefs, although fruitful, has suffered from a lack of conceptual clarity in terminology, definitions, distinctions, and roles of these important processes. Synthesizing extant research and major theoretical perspectives on achievement motivation, I propose Motivational Climate Theory as a guide for future research efforts toward more accurate, systematic understanding of classroom motivational processes. As an initial organizing framework, three broad categories of classroom motivational processes are defined: motivational supports, consisting of speech, actions, and structures in a setting that are controllable by the people in that setting; motivational climate, defined as students’ shared perceptions of the motivational qualities of their classroom; and motivational microclimates, or students’ individual perceptions that differ from shared perceptions. Motivational support and climate’s key characteristics and mechanisms are described, followed by recommendations, future directions, and implications for research, practice, and policy.

摘要

对塑造学生动机信念的课堂过程的研究虽然卓有成效，但在这些重要过程的术语、定义、区别和作用方面缺乏概念清晰度。综合现有研究和成就动机的主要理论观点，我提出动机气候理论作为未来研究工作的指南，以更准确、系统地理解课堂动机过程。作为最初的组织框架，定义了三大类课堂激励过程：激励氛围，定义为学生对课堂激励品质的共同看法；和激励小气候，或学生的个人看法不同于共同的看法。描述了激励支持和气候的关键特征和机制，然后是建议、未来方向以及对研究、实践和政策的影响。