Social Aspects of Developing Motivation for Learning in Young People

Abstract

Ekaterina Popova, Ph.D. student at the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Email: EkaterinaS.Popova@bk.ru  Address: Bld. 5, 24/35 Krzhizhanovskogo St., Moscow, 117218, Russian Federation.

This article explains why the interdisciplinary approach is required to study motivation for learning. A brief overview of foreign psychological, educational and sociological studies on development of motivation for learning is provided.

An analysis of approaches to motivation allowed to develop the strategy of research, which regards motivation as one of the key drivers of any action. One of the main problems that teachers encounter while developing and maintaining motivation in students is finding and keeping the balance between internal and external motivational factors.

The author discusses preliminary results of a poll carried out in order to operationalize her own concept of motivation for learning. A pilot survey has evidenced efficiency of the developed system of operants in measuring social aspects of motivation development. Operants associated with student engagement in learning have confirmed that social aspects of external motivation are indeed very important. Internal motivation of school students is also largely affected by social values. Evaluating the methods of measuring aspirations of modern high school students, the author concludes that investigating aspirations after the 9th grade is not enough to analyze estimated educational trajectories and goals of youth, so aspirations of the 11th grade graduates should also be an object of research.

An analysis of pilot survey data has revealed the need to expand the survey apparatus. As a result, an extended system of operational and conceptual terms was developed. The academic year 2013–2014 will witness adjustment and testing of the new apparatus, more polls, and material analysis.