Examining the Protective Role of Motivation for Children with Learning Difficulties’ Academic Achievement

• In Event: Social and Emotional Wellbeing for Differently-abled Individuals and their Families

Abstract

Students with learning disabilities (LDs) tend to underperform academically in school and have lower levels of motivation than their peers without LDs (Liu & Hou, 2018; Seyed et al., 2017). Children with lower motivation tend to have poorer academic performance (Goldberg & Cornell, 1998; Seyed et al., 2017), suggesting that motivation may play a role in the low academic performance of students with LDs. Recent empirical research has highlighted that academic success and motivation are bi-directionally correlated, such that low motivation relates to low academic success which in turn is associated with lower motivation in the future, creating a reinforcing cycle (Liu & Hou, 2018). This negative cycle may be heightened for students with LDs, who often experience early and frequent failures in school (Seyed et al., 2017). Thus, low motivation may perpetuate the academic struggles of children with LDs, as shown in Figure 1. The current study examines if the association between LD symptoms and academic achievement is moderated by children’s motivation.

The original, projected sample was 170 second-grade children. Due to COVID-19, data collection was paused, and only 25 participants are included in the descriptive statistics provided below. Data collection resumed in early September 2020 and will be completed by December 2020. Children reported on their own motivation using the Harter’s Motivational Scale (Lepper et al., 2005). Parents reported on children’s LD symptoms using the Colorado Learning Disabilities Questionnaire (Willcutt et al., 2011). Children’s teachers report on their reading and math achievement. Child gender, child race/ethnicity, household income, and parental education will be included as covariates in all models.

Initial descriptive statistics are presented in Table 1. Out of the 25 children, 28% were reported to have 0 LD symptoms, 44% were reported to have 1 or 2 LD symptoms, and 28% were reported to have 3 or more LD symptoms. On average, children reported relatively high levels of motivation (M = 3.824, possible range of 1 – 5). The sample is also socioeconomically- and racially-diverse. Once data collection is complete, regression analyses will be used to examine the main effects of LD symptoms and motivation for academic achievement and the interaction term will be added between LD symptoms and motivation for achievement.

We expect to find a significant interaction between LD symptoms and motivation for children’s academic success, such that, high motivation will buffer against the negative effects of LD symptoms on academic achievement and low motivation will exacerbate the negative effects of LDs on achievement. To support the academic success of children with LDs, it is crucial to identify malleable factors that can be promoted through intervention programs. Prior research suggests that motivation may be a key target for these efforts, as children with LDs tend to have early struggles with academic learning and decreased motivation (Zisimopoulos & Galanaki, 2009). Further, relatively simple and low-cost interventions have been successful at increasing the intrinsic motivation of elementary school students from other vulnerable populations (Froiland, 2010), suggesting that these efforts may be impactful for children with LDs.

Authors

• Rachelle M Johnson, Florida State University
  Presenting Author

• Jenna Elizabeth Finch, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author