Down the Rabbit Hole: An Exploration of Student Grit, Motivation and Scientific Inquiry

By Daisy Sharrock

Student motivation. Bring up feelings of anxiety and frustration? Learning depends on motivated learners. How can we set up our classrooms to maximize motivation for challenging academic work? In this project I explored how students experience inquiry learning and its affects on student motivation. Twenty four High Tech High students participated in an inquiry based science project, creating interactive museum quality exhibits over one semester in a 10th grade chemistry class. Data was collected through personal interviews, panel interviews, classroom observations and journal responses. It was analyzed on a weekly basis for themes relating to motivation and grit - the tenacity and perseverance to make it through something challenging. The data suggests that motivation exists as a spectrum, ranging from extrinsic forms to intrinsic forms. Teenagers tend to be moving from extrinsic forms towards more intrinsic forms of motivation for academically challenging work. Those that are farther along on the spectrum and have higher levels of intrinsic motivation also exhibit more grit and perseverance for challenging work. However, those with lower motivation for challenging work can be moved along the spectrum towards more internal motivation through a few key project scaffolding strategies: access to real world experts for feedback and accountability, time for multiple drafts, and student choice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1489554734
• ISBN13: 9781489554734
• Release Date: May 2013
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"