Enhancing Student Motivation: A Longitudinal Intervention Study Based on Future Time Perspective Theory

ABSTRACT

The authors investigated the effects of an intervention developed to enhance student motivation in the first years of secondary education. The intervention, based on future time perspective (FTP) theory, has been found to be effective in prevocational secondary education (T. T. D. Peetsma & I. Van der Veen, 2008, 2009). The authors extend the previous studies by focusing on all levels of secondary education and investigating the effects of the intervention over a longer period. In addition, they investigated the feasibility of teachers performing the intervention. A total of 766 students completed questionnaires 5 times during the first 2 years in secondary education, measuring FTP, goal orientation, and self-regulated learning. The authors randomly selected 65 students for the interventions. The results showed positive effects of the intervention on self-regulated learning and performance-approach in all levels of secondary education. Interventions performed by trained teachers were equally effective as those performed by the researchers.

Keywords:

• future time perspective
• goal orientation
• intervention
• motivation
• secondary education

Notes

¹The regression weights for delay of gratification mentioned here are estimated in the models including only main effects and are not presented in Table 1.

²These regression weights for performance-approach mentioned here are estimated in the models including only main effects and are not presented in Table 2.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jaap Schuitema

Jaap Schuitema is an Assistant Professor in the Research Institute of Child Development and Education at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on enhancing student motivation and self-regulated learning in educational settings and citizenship education

Thea Peetsma

Thea Peetsma is an Associate Professor of Education in the Department of Education at the University of Amsterdam and the Chair of this department. She specializes as well in the development of learning motivation and achievement as in education for children with special educational needs.

Ineke van der Veen

Ineke van der Veen is a Senior Researcher in the Kohnstamm Institute at the University of Amsterdam. Her current research is into motivation for school, self-regulated learning, and educational careers, with a focus on students from different ethnic and social backgrounds.