Challenge in a Mathematics Classroom: Students' Motivation and Strategies in Project-Based Learning

We studied 14 fifth- and sixth-grade students' challenge seeking during project-based mathematics instruction in 1 classroom. We drew on 5 areas of research: academic risk taking, achievement goals, self-efficacy, volition, and affect. Data included students' responses to a tolerance for failure survey, an adaptive learning pattern survey, and 3 individual interviews about their actions during a math project. Qualitative and quantitative analyses suggested 2 patterns of student self-perceptions and behaviors: "challenge seekers" and "challenge avoiders." Challenge seekers self-reported a tolerance for failure, a learning goal orientation, and a higher than average self-efficacy in math. Challenge avoiders self-reported a higher negative affect after failure, a more performance-focused goal orientation, a lower self-efficacy in math, and a greater use of surface strategies (i.e., strategies requiring minimal processing of information). We illustrate the consistency of these patterns and reveal the diversity within patterns with 4 descriptive cases. Although the surveys were useful in characterizing general patterns of challenge seeking, more individual and contextualized information is necessary for understanding how to support students engaged in challenging academic work, such as project-based learning.