The objective of this dissertation was to explore the impact of gender, maternal parenting style, and social class on the level of motivation in first-year college students. Existing research has shown that, individually, these three variables can influence motivation in students. However, we do not know how a mothers' parenting style paired with…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to know if and to what extent there was a relationship between self-determination and the dimensions of online learner readiness (motivation for learning, online communication self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control, and computer/internet self-efficacy) with online academic…

This study investigated how undergraduate college students with different STEM career orientations differ in their motivation toward science education. The purpose of this study was to surface differences in the quality of motivations between groups of students with different orientations toward STEM careers to support them in science education…

The current study aimed to assess whether a single-session growth mindset intervention was effective in increasing beliefs in a growth mindset and academic motivation among fifth-grade students. Academic motivation and subsequent achievement tend to show declines with age and increasing difficulty in classes, and this was exacerbated during the…

This research study analyzes how the predictor variables sensing-intuitive learning style, verbal-visual learning style, gender, major, and degree level of adult learners predict student intrinsic motivation-to know, extrinsic motivation-external regulation, and amotivation to pursue an online graduate degree. The primary research question states:…

Problem: Online learning is a form of distance education that occurs via the Internet (Adams, 2004; Carliner, 1999). The success of online learning depends on student-related factors such as acceptance, willingness, and motivation (Almaiah et al., 2019; Almaiah et al., 2020). When online learning systems are not utilized, students cannot realize…

Past research has examined the factors that can influence achievement motivation in ethnic minority, immigrant, first-generation, and low-income college students. Academic self-efficacy, acculturation, family obligation, and perceived social support have been identified as being relevant to college students' achievement motivation. However,…

The research described in this paper examines the role of sense of classroom community, intrinsic motivation, and academic integration on academic achievement (using persistence and course grade as the dependent variable) for community college students in online courses. A total of 72 students enrolled in online community college courses…

The United States has the highest college attrition rate among industrialized nations. Community college students face a much higher risk, particularly those who lack requisite reading/writing skills. Using the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between persistence in college for students…

The numbers of African American males and females entering higher education continue to soar. Research shows that African American women are the most educated group within the United States; however, compared to their European and Hispanic male counterparts, African American males report the lowest outcomes in higher education. Educational…

This study examined college admission criteria and college readiness in an effort to reduce barriers in college admission. The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was administered to a convenience sample of 74 participants among 503 students during their first semester at a two-year college. Scale scores were compared to demographic characteristics,…

Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) as the theoretical framework, this study explored how high-school GPA and motivation contributed to academic performance and persistence among students enrolled in developmental-education courses during the fall of 2016 at a two-year technical college in the Midwest. A non-random purposive…

In the field of psychology, what motivates a person to achieve their goals has been vastly researched, particularly in looking at internal versus external factors. In education, using internal or intrinsic factors that can predict motivation is helpful as they facilitate goal attainment, such as earning a degree. Two factors (online self-efficacy…

Online learning motivation is a significant issue in online learning that is worthy of study to prevent academic performance issues from occurring. This study focuses on online learning motivation with the U.S. Army and their online learning experiences. To inform future organizational decisions with the goal of increasing overall student online…

This study investigated the motivational orientation, perceived stress, and general satisfaction of student parents (i.e., students who have dependent children) and non-parents (i.e., students who do not have dependent children) in graduate school. Based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), this study examined the 1) the influence…