Stuck in the middle: examining the impact of the learning environment on adolescent motivation

Academic motivation decreases during middle school and this decline impacts motivation and academic achievement through high school. This study sought to examine the environmental and relational factors that impact academic motivation within middle school from the perspectives of students. The following question was used to guide this investigation: How do middle learners perceive that their academic motivation is impacted by their learning environment? Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to understand the lived experiences of the ten participants. Stage-environment fit and self-determination theories provided critical lenses that ensured that the data analysis was grounded within the context of middle school motivation. Five superordinate themes emerged: making sense of motivation in middle school, assignments and work, the learning experience, classmates and community, and relationships with teachers. The findings indicate that students are motivated when their experiences within the classroom provide opportunities for autonomy and support their growing sense of competence. Students are also motivated when they work collaboratively with their peers. Most importantly, students must perceive that their teachers care for them in order for learning to occur. Students characterize teachers as caring when they hold students to high expectations, personalize their instruction, and provide emotional support. The participants had clear recollections of their experiences within middle school and how these experiences related to motivation, signifying implications for current educator practice and future research. These findings also suggest that educators should implement curricula embedded with instructional practices that support adolescents' need for autonomy, competence, and relationship building within the middle school classroom.--Author's abstract