"Sharing My Individuality": The Desire to Stand Out Predicts Choices to Contribute During Class Discussion

• In Event: 52.085 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: 52.085-1 - Motivation in Social and Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Instructors sometimes find it difficult to create vibrant classroom discussions in which many students choose to contribute. Here, we address this concern by focusing on a factor that might lead students to view attempts to contribute as an identity formation experience. Specifically, we examined the role of perceiving classroom contributions as an opportunity to assert one’s uniqueness. Participants were 164 students enrolled in a large, introductory course in education at a large, Midwestern university. Surveys, institutional records, and behavioral observation data were collected. Results revealed that students who perceived contributions as a way of standing out were more likely to attempt to contribute to class discussions. Importantly, this link was mediated by the importance students ascribed to making classroom contributions.

Authors

• DeLeon Lavron Gray, North Carolina State University

• Mike Yough, Oklahoma State University

• Hyun Jin Cho

• Kamerynn Kohler, North Carolina State University