Program

Education Doctorate

Year Approved

2018

First Advisor

Paulson, Patricia

Abstract

Ninth-grade students were given a survey modified from the work of Aydin, Yerdelen, Gurbuzuglo, Yalmanci, and Goksu (2014) following completion of their high school biology course which asked for their level of agreement on 18 statements regarding motivation to learn biology. The results from the state assessment in biology standards competencies were correlated with reported motivation type and level. Students were asked to indicate their course choice, identified culture, gender, and whether they qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch. The results indicated that the course in which the student had been enrolled showed a significant correlation with atrinsic and extrinsic social motivation. The data also showed that young women enrolled in a biomedical science course reported the highest levels of motivation in all areas except atrinsic motivation in which they showed the lowest levels. Black students in all courses reported the highest levels of atrinsic motivation and Hispanic students reported the lowest levels of extrinsic career motivation. State science scores were positively correlated with intrinsic and extrinsic social motivation and were negatively correlated with atrinsic motivation. Students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch reported equal motivation to other students.

Degree Name

Education Doctorate

Document Type

Doctoral dissertation

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