Introduction to the Special Section on Motivation and Efficacy

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Dale H. Schunk, Dean (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: This special section comprises nine articles addressing the operation of motivation and efficacy in educational contexts. In this article, I will use motivation to refer to the process whereby goal-directed behavior is instigated and sustained, and efficacy to denote individuals' beliefs in their capabilities to exert control over aspects of their lives.

The articles that follow differ in many ways, but they share the theme that educational achievement is a complex phenomenon involving interactions of social, instructional, and learner factors (Pintrich, Cross, Kozma, & McKeachie, 1986). Students can actively seek and process information through their attention, organization, rehearsal, and encoding. Their overt responses, in turn, can alter social and instructional factors within their environments.

Additional Information

Publication
Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 3-6.
Language: English
Date: 1990
Keywords
Motivation, Self-efficacy, Psychology, Students, Self directed learning

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