Effects of sex, third grade reading achievement and motivation as predictors of fourth grade reading achievement of Hispanic students: A path analysis

This study explored the topic of motivation for intermediate students combining both an objective criterion measure (i.e., standardized test scores) and the self-report of students on self-concept and value of reading. The purpose of this study was to examine how third grade reading achievement correlated with the motivation of fourth grade boys and girls, and, in turn, how motivation related to fourth grade reading achievement. The participants were fourth grade students (n=207) attending two public, elementary schools in Miami-Dade County who were of primarily Hispanic origin or descent. Data were collected using the Reading Survey portion of the Motivation to Read Profile (1996) which measures self-concept and value of reading in order to measure motivation and the Third and Fourth Grade Reading Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) to assess achievement. First, a one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine whether motivation differed significantly between fourth grade boys and girls. Second, a path analysis was used to determine whether motivation mediated or moderated the association between FCAT 2.0 third and fourth grade scores. Results of the ANOVA indicated that motivation, as measured by the Motivation to Read Profile did not differ significantly by sex. Results from the path analysis indicated that the model was significant and that third grade FCAT 2.0 scores accounted for a significant amount of the variance in fourth grade FCAT 2.0 scores once motivation was entered. Results of the study demonstrated that motivation partially mediates, but does not moderate the relationship between FCAT 2.0 third and fourth grade scores. In conclusion, it can be determined that past student achievement for fourth grade students plays a role in current student achievement when motivation is also considered. It is therefore important in order to improve the quality of fourth grade student's current performance to take into account a student's motivation and past achievement. An effort must be made to address students' motivational needs whether through school wide programs or at the classroom level in addition or in conjunction with cognition. Future research on the effect of self-concept in reading achievement is recommended.

Tourist See Tourist Do: The Influence of Hollywood Movies and Television on Tourism Motivation and Activity Behavior

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Hollywood movies and television (movies/TV) on US viewer’s motivation to travel to and participate in activities featured in Hollywood movies/TV productions. A survey was administered in an online format to a convenience sample of 433 respondents via Qualtrics. Factor analysis, correlation, and regression was employed to explore relationships between the variables. Findings identified a profile of Hollywood movies/TV viewers, sources of information used to determine destination choice, and level of involvement among viewers of Hollywood movies/TV productions. Additionally, this study explored the relationships between Hollywood movies/TV productions, tourist motivations, and the propensity to participate in activities featured. Findings indicate that Hollywood movies/TV productions have a positive impact on viewer involvement and that movie/TV related tourism is likely to be affected by movie and TV viewing preference and destination image. The results identify that the predictor “TV viewing behavior” is the strongest predictor of entertainmentmotivated tourism, followed by “destination image” and “movie viewing behavior.” Findings also indicate that “destination image” is the strongest predictor of movie-related activities and that the image portrayed in a movie does influence the viewer’s inclination to visit and participate in activities featured in a movie.

Public Service Motivation in Public and Nonprofit Service Providers: The Cases of Belarus and Poland

The work motivation construct is central to the theory and practice of many social science disciplines. Yet, due to the novelty of validated measures appropriate for a deep cross-national comparison, studies that contrast different administrative regimes remain scarce. This study represents an initial empirical effort to validate the Public Service Motivation (PSM) instrument proposed by Kim and colleagues (2013) in a previously unstudied context. The two former communist countries analyzed in this dissertation—Belarus and Poland— followed diametrically opposite development strategies: a fully decentralized administrative regime in Poland and a highly centralized regime in Belarus. The employees (n = 677) of public and nonprofit organizations in the border regions of Podlaskie Wojewodstwo (Poland) and Hrodna Voblasc (Belarus) are the subjects of study. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed three dimensions of public service motivation in the two regions: compassion, self-sacrifice, and attraction to public service. The statistical models tested in this dissertation suggest that nonprofit sector employees exhibit higher levels of PSM than their public sector counterparts. Nonprofit sector employees also reveal a similar set of values and work attitudes across the countries. Thus, the study concludes that in terms of PSM, employees of nonprofit organizations constitute a homogenous group that exists atop the administrative regimes. However, the findings propose significant differences between public sector agencies across the two countries. Contrary to expectations, data suggest that organization centralization in Poland is equal to—or for some items even higher than—that of Belarus. We can conclude that the absence of administrative decentralization of service provision in a country does not necessarily undermine decentralized practices within organizations. Further analysis reveals strong correlations between organization centralization and PSM for the Polish sample. Meanwhile, in Belarus, correlations between organization centralization items and PSM are weak and mostly insignificant. The analysis indicates other factors beyond organization centralization that significantly impact PSM in both sectors. PSM of the employees in the studied region is highly correlated with their participation in religious practices, political parties, or labor unions as well as location of their organization in a capital and type of social service provided.

A study to identify the motivation compelling the business traveler to choose a specific airline in the Miami to Atlanta market and to develop a marketing strategy

The purpose of this study was to determine if the business traveler's behavior is influenced by brand loyalty. This brand loyalty, which became evident through the use of a survey, was then to be thoroughly evaluated. In order for this information to be best understood and utilized as the basis of future marketing strategies, much research was undertaken and its significance explained in relation to the airline industry as it exists at present. The results and conclusions of this study indicate that the airline industry is, for the most part, taking a successful approach in attracting business travelers. These travelers' business is highly valued due to the frequency with which they pay full-fare rates. The airlines view business travelers as a potential for great profit and their actions are in line with these philosophies.

Étude de la relation entre la motivation, les conflits interrôles, les bénéfices et la détresse psychologique chez des individus qui cumulent les rôles travail-famille-études

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Les attitudes et la motivation au trilinguisme des étudiants allophones dans un cégep anglophone de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Étude de la relation entre la motivation, les conflits interrôles, les bénéfices et la détresse psychologique chez des individus qui cumulent les rôles travail-famille-études

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Les attitudes et la motivation au trilinguisme des étudiants allophones dans un cégep anglophone de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Language Learning Motivation

This study aimed to measure how authentic material motivates students to perform well and have positive attitudes toward foreign language learning. Participants were 32 eighth grade students at Aquinas College in Nassau the Bahamas. Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (adapted Gardner, 2004), interviews, and open ended discussions were used.

THE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF MOTIVATION FOR AND THE PRINCIPAL’S INFLUENCE ON THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN SELF-DIRECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

All teachers participate in self-directed professional development (PD) at some point in their careers; however, the degree to which this participation takes place varies greatly from teacher to teacher and is influenced by the leadership of the school principal. The motivation behind why teachers choose to engage in PD is an important construct. Therefore, there is a need for better understanding of the leader’s role with respect to how and why teachers engage in self-directed professional development. The purpose of the research was to explore the elementary teachers’ motivation for and the school principal’s influence on their engagement in self-directed professional development. Three research questions guided this study: 1. What motivates teachers to engage in self-directed professional development? 2. What are the conditions necessary for promoting teachers’ engagement in self-directed professional development? 3. What are teachers’ perceptions of the principal’s role in supporting, fostering, encouraging, and sustaining the professional development of teachers? A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study. Six elementary teachers from one south-eastern Ontario school board, consisting of three novice and three more experienced teachers, provided their responses to a consistent complement of 14 questions. Their responses were documented via individual interviews, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. The findings suggested that, coupled with the individual motivating influences, the culture of the school was found to be a conditional dynamic that either stimulated or dissuaded participation in self-directed PD. The school principal provided an additional catalyst or deterrence via relational disposition. When teachers felt their needs for competency, relatedness, and autonomy were satisfied, the conditions necessary to motivate teachers to engage in PD were fulfilled. A principal who personified the tenets of transformational leadership served to facilitate teachers’ inclinations to take on PD. A leadership style that was collaborative and trustful and allowed for personal autonomy was a dominant foundational piece that was critical for participant participation in self-directed PD. Finally, the principals were found to positively impact school climate by partaking in PD alongside teachers and ensuring there was a shared vision of the school so that teachers could tailor PD to parallel school interests.

A Meaner, More Callous Digital World for Youth? The Relationship Between Violent Digital Games, Motivation, Bullying and Civic Behavior amongst Children

The relationship between violent digital games and youth behavior remains contested in the scholarly literature. To date considerable scholarship has focused on university students with fewer studies of adolescents or children. The current study examines correlational relationships between violent game exposure and bullying behaviors, antisocial attitudes, civic attitudes and civic behaviors in a sample of 304 children from the United Kingdom (Mean age = 12.81). The paper also considered motivational influences on use of violent digital games. Results indicated that violent game exposure did not correlate meaningfully with either antisocial or civic behaviors or attitudes. These results are discussed in a motivational and developmental context.

Motivation and Vocabulary Breadth in CLIL and EFL Contexts. Different age, Same Time of Exposure

Numerous studies have found a positive connection between learners’ motivation towards foreign language and foreign language achievement. The present study examines the role of motivation in receptive vocabulary breadth (size) of two groups of Spanish learners of different ages, but all with 734 hours of instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL): a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) group in primary education and a non-CLIL (or EFL) group in secondary education. Most students in both groups were found to be highly motivated. The primary CLIL group slightly overcame the secondary non-CLIL group with respect to the mean general motivation but this is a non-significant difference. The secondary group surpass significantly the primary group in receptive vocabulary size. No relationship between the receptive vocabulary knowledge and general motivation is found in the primary CLIL group. On the other hand, a positive significant connection, although a very small one, is identified for the secondary non-CLIL group. We will discuss on the type of test, the age of students and the type of instruction as variables that could be influencing the results.

Intention and motivation as key to dropout

Presentation about my PhD research about dropout in MOOCs for the open education week

Sex Offending and Situational Motivation: Findings from a Qualitative Analysis of Desistance from Sexual Offending

Sex offending is typically understood from a pathology perspective with the origin of the behavior thought to be within the offending individual. Such a perspective may not be beneficial for those seeking to desist from sexual offending and reintegrate into mainstream society. A thematic analysis of 32 self-narratives of men convicted of sexual offences against children suggests that such individuals typically explain their pasts utilizing a script consistent with routine activity theory, emphasizing the role of circumstantial changes in both the onset of and desistance from sexual offending. It is argued that the self-framing of serious offending in this way might be understood as a form of ‘shame management’, a protective cognition that enables desistance by shielding individuals from internalizing stigma for past violence.