Influencing Postsecondary Students' Motivation to Learn in the Classroom

The study investigated the interactive effects of professors' instruction strategies and students' conceptual levels on the motivation to learn of 83 postsecondary students randomly assigned to either direct or nondirect instruction groups. Statistically significant interactions revealed that highly structured teaching methods maximized the motivation of students with low conceptual levels, whereas teaching methods that were low in structure enhanced the motivation of high-conceptual-level students. The findings expand previous research and offer insights into how professors can influence students' motivation to learn academic course content. Key Words: student motivationinstruction strategiesclassroom learningconceptual levelindividualized instruction Additional informationNotes on contributorsDawson R. Hancock Dawson R. Hancock is an assistant professor of educational research at the University of North Carolina, in Charlotte.