How are non-geography majors motivated in a large introductory world geography course?

Abstract

University students who do not declare geography as their major are at risk of poor motivation to learn in an introductory geography class. However, research exploring the role of non-majors' motivation is lacking. This study examines motivational factors impacting non-geography students' engagement and performance. The findings suggest that non-geography majors demonstrate deep engagement when they focus on mastering the content and value geography. Also, when students feel confident of learning geography, they are more likely to demonstrate a high level of achievement. The paper concludes with practical suggestions for enhancing non-geography students' motivation and engagement in an introductory geography class.

Keywords::

• geography education
• introductory geography course
• non-geography majors
• motivation
• engagement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1.http://www.aag.org/cs/projects_and_programs/disciplinary_data/aagcollected_data_on_geography_departments