Achievement Motivation Among Lower Class Middle School Latino Students

Alex Stellato

University of California, Irvine

SE-195

Dr. Lukowski

March 14, 2012

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Abstract

I am very eager to understand why these particular students find it difficult to maintain

their focus on homework, lack motivation, or have little motivation at all to do well in school or

when participating in physical activities. Working most of the time in the homework room, the

lack of motivation shows itself the most when it comes to math homework. I will look at

empirical sources that have ties to academic (mathematics) and physical motivation specifically

dealing with the young (10-14 yr old) Latino community, as well as the achievement motivation

habits to see why successful students are motivated the way they are. Finally, and more

importantly, I will use evidence from previous work on motivation achievement in lower class

youth, to hopefully increase the motivation among the kids who have a hard time wanting to get

their homework done or participate in physical activities.

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Introduction

My Field Study location is at a Disney organization called GOALS. GOALS is a non-

profit outreach organization Disney started when they bought the Anaheim Ducks. GOALS is

focused on after school attention to students of high risk and low socioeconomic status. My

specific site in which I work with GOALS is at a middle school called Valadez Middle School

Academy in Anaheim, CA. We work with the students both in a physical and academic capacity.

When working with the students, I am a "Coach." Coaches double as both academic tutors, as

well as coaches who instruct the students through the fundamentals of various sports. While at

my site, most of my time is spent in the homework room, where I assist the students with their

homework.

The students are organized into three teams; Golden, Soaring and Imperial. These groups

are lead by a different Coach on a week by week basis. Each one of the three groups rotates

through three different stations throughout each day. Each station lasts 45 minutes with a 15

minute break for snack between the first and second rotations. The three stations include;

homework help, sports, and a wild card. The wild card is normally math lab but sometimes turns

into a relaxing time in which the students are able to watch a sports movie or documentary

(normally which is a Disney product). Each day the rotations are different but each team will

have a chance to visit the three stations.

Through the first three weeks of the field study assignment, one key issue stood out to me

rather quickly. Some of the students do their homework, while others cannot wait for their 45

minute period to be over so that they can go play outside. I accepted this field study position

because I am interested in pursuing a career in Sport Psychology and Performance Enhancement.

One of the main things a Sport Psychologist deals with on a daily basis is motivation. While

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interviewing with my GOALS coordinator Michael, we discussed motivation, and he told me

about this very scenario in which some students do not want to do their homework, and instead

look forward for their rotation to go out and play sports. Conversely, some students want to get

their homework done and do not wish to play outside.

I am very eager to understand why these particular students find it difficult to maintain

their focus on homework, lack motivation, or have little motivation at all to do well in school, or

when participating in physical activities. Working most of the time in the homework room, the

lack of motivation shows itself the most when it comes to math homework. I will look at

empirical sources that have ties to academic (mathematics) and physical motivation specifically

dealing with the young (10-14 yr old) Latino community, as well as the achievement motivation

habits to see why successful students are motivated the way they are.

Since I am in the homework room more so than I am out with the students during sports,

three journal articles deal with academic motivation, and one studies motivation of physical

activities. The underlying factor in each of the articles is centered around motivational

achievement through various tasks. Finally, and more importantly, I will use evidence from

previous work on academic achievement in lower class youth, to hopefully increase the

motivation among the kids who have a hard time wanting to get their homework done.

Body

The first empirical report being analyzed is called the Epistemic Beliefs and

Achievement Motivation in Early Adolescnece. (Ricco, 2010) This study was conducted in the

hopes of furthering studies that have tried to establish stronger links between adolescents

epistemology beliefs, and successful academic achievement motivation.

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This study was conducted among middle school students, much like the students at

Valadez Middle School Academy. There were 459 of these students in the study, ranging from

grades six to eight. The participants were part of a very specific range of the population. These

students were predominantly Hispanic, who were residents of Southern California. The parents

of these students on average had a combined income of between 20 and 30 thousand a year,

which would qualify them as lower class families. (Ricco, 2010)

It is important to realize that external validity was not a huge factor in studying this

report but it did however fit well with the student population at Valadez Middle School

Academy. This study aimed to capture one's own perception of motivation, through various

aspects. In learning where motivation comes from in the mind of these students, a link between

perception of motivation and epistemology of learning could try to be established. The most

applicable aspect in studying motivation to the GOALS student population is the concept of

one's own task value. Task value measures one's personal interest in something, and the degree to

which the student finds the particular interest relevant in one's life. (Ricco, 2010)

Self-efficacy was a key aspect that was studied. This is different from studying a child's

self-confidence in the way that self-efficacy is geared towards the students expectations of how

likely their efforts will result in success. Perception of achievement goals was also a tool utilized

to try and measure one's own perception of motivation. The study was carried out by a series of

four handouts given to the students in their respective science classes. These handouts were a

combination of assessments and questionnaires that the students were instructed to fill out. Each

of these handouts lasted from an hour to an hour and twenty minutes. These handouts measured

students attitudes towards many aspects such as; task values, achievement goals, as well as

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epistemological beliefs of knowledge. Grades from each child's science class were attained to

provide as a base range of knowledge for each student. (Ricco, 2010)

Results of the study showed that in fact one's epistemic beliefs of knowledge is

arranged in one's mind by middle school. These beliefs are structured around a belief that

authority figures are more knowledgeable, problems only have one definite answer and the

perception of one's own achievement motivation. In contrast to prior studies done on motivation

in adolescence, this study shows that with knowledge, comes a greater degree of self-efficacy,

and an increased importance of task values. (Ricco, 2010)

Limitations to this research is evident to any one who has spent time around students of

this age group. It is evident that some attention spans are not strong and taking a test which asks

question after question over an hour's time, is not the best way to achieve accurate answers from

middle school students. Base grades taken from one's own science classes may not be the best in

achieving a base intelligence. The results may be skewed if the students base knowledge was

based on their performance in something completely different in the world of academia, such as

Language Arts.

The study points out that some students perceive finishing a test early as a sign of

higher intelligence, which will make some students more conscious of finishing early, while

perhaps rushing answers. (Ricco, 2010) As many researchers know, data collected via

questionnaires causes limitations because of the lack of personalization due to the emphasis in

standardization. Lastly, like distinguished beforehand, the sample size is small and may not be

externally valid due to the specific range of population studied.

The second empirical source that is used to study academic motivation is called,

Multivariate Latent Change Modeling of Developmental Decline in Academic Intrinsic Math

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Motivation and Achievement: Childhood through adolescence. (Gottfried, 2007) This is a

multivariate longitudinal study of academic motivation, specifically mathematics, through

adolescence and high school. This study is designed to look at the decreased motivation in

mathematics because it shows the steepest decline in comparison to all other subjects.

The study was conducted among 144 participants who had previously been selected by

their parents from birth. These students were evaluated every 6 months and were selected at

random from ages 9-17 to participate in the study. These participants who were selected were

mainly comprised of European American decent, who were from working middle class families.

Male and female participation were almost split down the middle. Assessments were used to

determine subjects academic intrinsic motivation either at 9 or 10 years old. These scores were

compared with their academic achievement scores later in adolescence. (Gottfried, 2007)

The results of this study is that academic intrinsic motivation declines as adolescence

progress through the lifespan. This is highlighted in mathematics. There is a strong relationship

of declining overall achievement motivation and mathematic achievement. Results show that if

one scores low on mathematic achievement at a young age, he may strongly be at risk for low

level academic achievement through adolescence. That is to say, if one is not intrinsically

motivated to perform well in mathematics, one will suffer in all other aspects of academic

intrinsic motivation. (Gottfried, 2007)

Limitations of this study are much like that of the first study. (Ricco, 2010) Whereas

the first study discussed looked primarily at lower class Latino adolescence, this study

(Gottfried, 2007) focuses almost exclusively on Caucasian working middle class adolescences.

This is a very small sample size and coupled with the lack of cultural and socioeconomic

perspectives, this study may lack some external validity.

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The third empirical source that is used to study academic motivation is called, Why

Try? Achievement Motivation and Perceived Academic Climate Among Latino Youth. (Wilkins,

2010). This study was designed to look at the changes in achievement motivation and the way it

is affected and changed from the transition from middle school to high school. This study

specifically focuses on Latino adolescents. The mastery-approach achievement motivation is one

that is examined closer and whether it increases or decreases in a student's mind during this key

transition. (Wilkins, 2010).

The first two studies (Ricco, 2010), (Gottfried, 2007) examined were made up of

middle school students, much like the students who participate in GOALS, with the main

ethnicity being the only major difference. The first study (Ricco, 2010) was predominantly made

up of Latino students, while the second (Gottfried, 2007) was predominantly made up of

European American students. This study, like the two examined before it, also uses middle

school students as the primary focus but is exclusively focused on Latino students. 143 Latino

students were studied from ages 12-14. These were middle school students in Atlanta, Georgia.

This was a two year study, evaluating the students in the last year of middle school, as well as

their first year of high school. Students were asked to fill out two questionnaires, as well as their

teachers submitting academic skills assessments on each particular student. The questionnaires

were used to determine the students own perceptions of academic achievement, as well as

functioning school climate. The assessment the teacher turned in for each student was purely

driven from past academic performances. (Wilkins, 2010)

Findings from the study shows that students who view comments from their professors

as negative, will be at more likely to develop negative academic trends. On the bright side, the

opposite holds true as well. Students who receive positive feedback or even more so,

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encouragement from their teacher, will show higher levels of achievement motivation. The most

interesting data thus far is the fact that contrary to prior belief, these Latino students felt less

focused on their overall grades when reaching high school and an increased feeling of motivation

when addressing new challenges. This may point to the fact that while in the tail end of their

middle school careers, these students feel there is a greater emphasis on grades in order to reach

the next level. Continuing the cycle, they put a less serious demand on their grades once they

actually reach the next level. (Wilkins, 2010)

This transition can be rough and very dynamic in regards to students perception of

climate. Students learn to change and adapt to their surroundings as their surroundings change.

To have results and data that try and concentrate these changes into results which are constant

and generally conclusive is impressive.

Limitations of this study are like ones limiting the previous studies. This is a highly

concentrated demographic of the population, restricted to only those who are Latino. This is also

a very small sample size, which coupled with the small demographic of the population, may be

hard to generalize to all 12-14 year olds through various economic status' throughout the country.

Additionally, according to (Wilkins, 2010) missing teachers examination during the second year

of the data collection was a limitation to the study. Having consistent teacher evaluations turned

in over both years of the study would have made the data stronger.

The last empirical source that is used to study academic motivation is called, The

Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in the Relationship Between Class Climates and Goal

Orientations in Physical Education. (Canpolat, 2012) This study was constructed to look at how

self-efficacy ultimately affects middle school students' achievements as it results to physical

education. Self-efficacy in middle school students is shown through various students through

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various achievement goal theories. Goal-orientation plays a role in motivation among students in

the academic world, as it does in regards to their physical activities. This study seeks to

understand the relationship between self-efficacy through goal-orientation combined with

perception of climate to help further understand motivation. (Canpolat, 2012)

This study used 690 middle school participants from both private and public schools

who were participants in various sports to study motivation. Assessment scales were used to

determine each students perceptions of class climate, self-efficacy and to determine their specific

goal orientation. These questionnaires were given to the students in their physical education

classrooms, while their teachers were in the room. Results showed that when class climate and

self-efficacy perceptions match positively speaking, the student has a higher motivation to do

well in his or her own physical activity, with the opposite holding true. Also, it is shown that

class climate perceptions among the student population was correlated with the individuals goal

orientation. (Canpolat, 2012)

There are limitations on this study like any study. This study is strong in terms of

sample size. Not only is it a much larger sample size in terms of numbers, the participants are

drawn from different schools. Not only are the participants drawn from different schools but they

are different schools in terms of private and public. Within the differences in public and private

schools, come different perceptions of class climate from school to school. The fact that not only

one sport was studied makes for a greater, more reliable sample size. Participants in this study

played different sports, which allowed the study to gain more data across the physical education

landscape, as opposed to the earlier experiment (Gottfried, 2007) which was primarily based in

one academic field (mathematics.)

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Suggestion for Future Research

It is quite clear that prior research on the topic of motivation among Latino middle

school students is quite intensively studied by conducting various experiments based on

questionnaires handed out for them to fill out in the hopes that they will fill them out accurately

and send them back. This is not what I thought I would find. I did not want to read pages after

pages about how positive thoughts of perception help build student motivation. I was looking to

find more hands on methods or at least suggestions of how to increase motivation in a particular

student. Further research should do just that; research ways to increase motivation among

students in a way that one can apply them to one's own students.

When I decided to look at motivation of middle school students, I wanted to do so

because the lack of motivation fascinated me and I wanted to see a change; I wanted to cause, or

at least encourage the change in student motivation. I was curious to see what empirical

information I could gather from previous research that would be filled with tips and tools on how

to increase a student's lack of motivation or help he or she find what was missing. Of course

there were times in which I could convince a student to do a problem and continue with his work

but was I really motivating the student to do so?

I believe that there are ways in which a set of procedures or guidelines can be

enumerated to help an instructor motivate his students. I believe this is true becasue I learned

about it in Sport Psychology here at UCI. There are ways to increase motivation and focus

among students who lack these particular guides to success. My GOALS coordinator Michael

said he worked with students in a fat camp. The program was not called a fat camp because that

would be degrading to young students self-esteem. To avoid this problem, the program

integrated students with normal physiques in the program as well as the obese students. I would

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like to see further research take a goup of students who are deemed unmotivated by their teachers

and tutors and do something similar.

These unmotivated students would be the center of the program without a doubt, but

would have classmates who were regularly motivated in the program as well. The program could

be set up much like homework help is at GOALS but the Coaches will be trained in the

techniques of motivation. Different techniques will be tried on different individuals to see which

ones are most effective for each child. Of course the same questionnaires could be given to these

students as in previous research to determine a particular students goal-orientation. This way, not

only can you see which motivation technique works best but one can know which technique to

apply to a student who is goal-oriented as opposed to one who is ego-oriented. This research

would provide for not only conclusive ways to increase motivation but a specialized approach

would be utilized based on goal orientation.

Even if this research was done at a place like GOALS, which is highly concentrated

sample size demographically speaking, steps can be made to improve motivation where it is

needed. Once a foundation is set and results are achieved these skills can be experimented on

other students of a different demographic. Going forth, it is not important to know just where

motivation comes from but also, ways of improving motivation among students.

Conclusion

Even though I feel that future research should take a step in a different direction in

regards to student motivation among the Latino lower class, there were a number of findings and

points I found in the research articles that were relevant to my field placement site. Generally

speaking, when the students in GOALS see that a realistic expectation has been set, they are

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more likely to try and achieve or even surpass expectations. Those with high achievement goals

look at tasks as building blocks to increased self-efficacy and confidence. (Ricco, 2010) A

positive cycle of confidence is displayed when achievement goals are met due to the likelihood

one will set another attainable goal once he or she has reached their previous goal. Also, studying

task value is interesting because some students who participate in GOALS do not see the

importance of homework in their life. (Ricco, 2010)

It is important to realize that not only is there a lack of motivation in the homework

room among the students in GOALS, there is a lack of motivation for those who are out playing

sports who want to do homework instead. In my time at Valadez Middle School I was only out

on the field at sports on a handful of occasions. The majority of my time was spent in homework

help where I experienced this lack of motivation. This is significant to point out because research

(Canpolat, 2012) shows that some of the same tests and principles in which we use to study

academic motivation can be used to study physical motivation as well. These include self-

efficacy test, and goal orientation assessments.

A problem among students is there is a steady decline in academic enjoyment and

motivation among adolescents in middle school through high school without the promise of

outside rewards. (Gottfried, 2007) This is very evident in the actions of the students in GOALS. I

was working at GOALS on Valentine's Day and I passed out candy to the students. Although I

thought this was a nice thing to do at the time, from then on the students had this notion that they

would only do their homework if they received candy. When a student were to tell me that, I

cringed at the fact that I may have been contributing to their lack of motivation, despite my ten

weeks of hard work trying to minimize that trend, by giving them candy that one day.

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The same can be said if you take a woman out on a first date to a nice restaurant on the

first date. If every date after that is not of the same quality, will she look down upon me? Will

she be less motivated to make an effort into dating me because she has seen what I can offer but

aren't currently offering? This indeed may be the case but I have a different feeling on this issue.

If I give the kids candy, or take a woman out somewhere nice and do not do this every time, I

feel as if they both know what they can receive, which to me is a motivating factor. Sadly

enough, the students do not share my optimistic view of rewards, and many of them still look for

external rewards as an exchange for doing something that they must do anyway, like homework.

Sadly enough, it was shown that an decrease in intrinsic mathematic motivation may

strongly affect the likelihood of a decrease in motivation in all other aspects of academia.

(Gottfried, 2007) This is especially troubling because well over 80% of the homework help I

provide is in math. Many students do not take math seriously, or do not have the correct

mathematical foundations to master math in order to move forward in their math skills. This

leads to the student becoming frustrated at math and often times feeling like they are going to

give up. This is a cycle I try to reverse every day, multiple times a day the best I can.

In conclusion, this assignment and field study as a whole has been a great experience

for myself. I have made many new friends and have had the privilege to work with students in an

academic setting while learning all about student achievement motivation in the process.

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References:

Canpolat, M., (2012) The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in the Relationship Between Class Climates and Global Orientations in Physical Education. World Applied Sciences Journal 16(1), 76-85

Gottfried, Ad., Marcoulides, G., Gottfiried, Al., Oliver, P., Guerin, D., (2007) Multivariate Latent Change Modeling of Developmental Decline in Academic Intrinsic Math Motivation and Achievement: Childhood through adolescence. International Journal of Behavioral Development 31(4), 317-327

Ricco, R., Pierce, S., Medinilla, C. (2010) Epistemic Beliefs and Achievement Motivation in Early Adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence 30(2), 305-340

Wilkins, J., Kupermic, P. (2010). Why Try? Achievement Motivation and Perceived Academic Climate Among Latino Youth. Journal of Early Adolescence 30(2), 246-276

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