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ERIC Number: EJ1043198
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Nov
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8326
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of Autonomy-Supportive vs. Controlling Guidance on Learners' Motivational and Cognitive Achievement in a Structured Field Trip
Basten, Melanie; Meyer-Ahrens, Inga; Fries, Stefan; Wilde, Matthias
Science Education, v98 n6 p1033-1053 Nov 2014
Field trips can provide unique opportunities for authentic, meaningful, and self-determined learning. Capitalizing on these opportunities requires that field trips be structured. A common way to do this is through the use of educational materials such as worksheets. The extent to which the guide's or teacher's autonomy-supportive or controlling motivating style influences learning structured by worksheets has not yet been investigated. We conducted two studies focusing on this specific issue. We hypothesized that autonomy-support is beneficial to intrinsic motivation and cognitive achievement. The setting for our research involved a field trip to the local zoo. The participants were 100 fifth graders (medium achievers) for Study 1 and 106 fifth and sixth graders (high achievers) for Study 2. The classes were divided into two groups for each study. While completing worksheets, some classes were given autonomy-supportive guidance and the others controlling guidance. We assessed the pupils' intrinsic motivation and knowledge using a pre-, post-, follow-up test design. Our research found that autonomy-support appears to be beneficial to motivation and does not seem to impair cognitive achievement. The beneficial effect of autonomy-support was found to be higher for the high-achieving pupils than for the medium achievers.
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools; Elementary Education; Grade 6
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A