Helpful, Harmful, or Somewhere in Between? Exploring Features of Peer Motivational Climate Among University Mathematics Students

• In Event: Dynamics of Student Engagement and Peer Influence in Collaborative Settings

Abstract

Peer motivational climate encompasses perceptions of peer behaviors that inform students’ motivation. However, research on peer motivational climate is sparse relative to motivational teaching, and current understandings are largely derived from K-12 schooling. Postsecondary STEM insights are scant, requiring groundwork to clarify the form and function of peer motivational climate in these contexts. Accordingly, we evaluated whether a leading theoretical model of peer motivational climate generalized to university mathematics classrooms. Students differentiated between supportive and unsupportive practices, but did not distinguish theoretically-assumed support practices. Contrary to theory, peer competition may be beneficial for peer relations in university mathematics. We provide the first validated measure of peer motivational climate in STEM and detail insights for refining its conceptualization in higher education.

Authors

• Cole D. Johnson, McGill University

• Kristy A. Robinson, McGill University