Practice-Relevant Motivational Research: The Need for a New Approach

• In Event: Practice-Relevant Motivational Research: Do We Need a Different Approach?

Abstract

The currently dominant approach to motivational research has made very substantial contributions to theoretical understandings of both individual differences in and contextual influences on motivation. Despite some notable differences, the main theoretical perspectives in this approach (e.g., attribution theory, self-efficacy, expectancy-value, achievement goals, interest, and even the humanistic self-determination theory) can be argued to share many basic assumptions, understandings, and recommendations, such as to develop and assign academic tasks that are personally meaningful to students, assign moderately challenging tasks, and promote perceived control and autonomy (see Urdan & Turner, 2005).

While such recommendations provide theoretically-coherent and research-supported guidelines for practice, the reality is that educators do not apply them in their practice. Indeed, these recommendations have been questioned in terms of their practicality and even validity (Urdan & Turner, 2005). Such critiques join increasing concerns about the seeming irrelevance of motivational theory and research to educational practice (e.g., Berliner, 2006; Blumenfeld, 1992; Brophy, 2005; McCaslin & Lavigne, 2010; Turner & Patrick, 2008).

In the current presentation, we draw on the extant motivational research literature to highlight several core challenges to the currently dominant paradigm in motivational research that seem to stand as obstacles to the translation of its insights to educational practice. We raise such issues in four conceptual categories: (1) theory, (2) methodology, (3) practice, and (4) ethics.

Theoretically, we critique the goals of contemporary motivation theory and research to identify a small number of constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, task value) and to specify their linear relations with outcomes for the purpose of prediction, replication across contexts, and control through contextual manipulation. This approach to motivational modeling is incompatible with emergent understandings of motivational phenomena as continuously emerging systems of dynamically interrelated components that cannot be completely predicted or controlled (cf. McMurtry, 2008).

Methodologically, we critique the prevalent experimental and correlational research methods as incompatible with educational practice (e.g., Brophy, 2005; Urdan & Turner, 2005). The controlled, focused, and brief design in experimental research is incompatible with the complex, dynamic, and indeterminate contexts of classrooms. Similarly, correlational research reflects the researcher’s—rather than the educator’s—perspective on the salient motivational processes in the classroom, and relies on linear statistical analyses that ignore the complexity of motivational phenomena.

Practically, theory-guided recommendations tend to focus on a small set of constructs, while motivational processes in classroom are variable and complex. Moreover, theory-guided recommendations often ignore the politics of classrooms, where students shy away from moderate challenge, and where teachers are faced with the need to motivate students from very different backgrounds.

Finally, theory-guided recommendations have not included consideration of the moral implications of imposing the researcher’s value system when aiming to change others’ thinking, emotions, and behavior, or of the potential for unintended negative consequences to participants in interventions.

We follow to consider the implications of these challenges, and end by calling for a different research approach that would render motivational research practice-relevant: asking practice-relevant research questions; adopting practice-oriented research orientations, and employing practice-relevant methodology, such as design-based implementation research.

Authors

• Avi Kaplan, Temple University

• Idit Katz, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

• Hanoch Flum, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev