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Molly Cook

Dr. Mullen

Educational Psych 205

19 November 2018

Module 15

1. Which students do you identify with in terms of motivation? Why?

I identify with Chelsea in this scenario, as I grew up being the “gifted” kid who was a

natural at test taking and required little studying in order to succeed. Likewise, when

things begin to go wrong, I have a tendency to give up and accept the worst without

trying to come up with a reasonable solution to my problem.

2. What recommendations would you give to Mr. Womack for dealing with Chelsea

and for dealing with students in general science?

For his general science class, Mr. Womack needs to make it clear that his class is not a

blow-off class. In order to do this, I would suggest that in the future he does not offer to

drop the student’s lowest grade. Due to the fact he already promised this, it would be

unfair for him to take that back. However, he should make a clear effort to prove that he

is willing to fail students if needed, as well as find ways to make the material valuable

and foster intrinsic motivation in his students. For dealing with Chelsea, perhaps he could

set up an after school program before test days for students as an extra review time.

Likewise, he should make it clear to Chelsea that this one grade will not ruin her GPA,

and encourage her to keep pursuing her dream. On top of this, perhaps he could come up

with some extra credit opportunities for the AP Physics kids, in more creative or real-

world applications, which might better suit their strengths.

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3. Do you think it was a good idea for Mr. Womack to announce who received the

highest grade in the AP Physics class? Why or why not?

No, for a variety of reasons. One, it fosters negative feelings for the other students in the

class, and will unintentionally make others feel worse. Likewise, even though he meant it

as a praise for Madelyn’s work, she might not have been comfortable with being called

out in front of the class like that. In general, grades should be kept confidential.

1. What is Chelsea’s expectancy for success in physics? Speculate on the social,

cultural, and individual factors that might contribute to this expectancy.

Socially, if Chelsea has always been a gifted student and is taking AP Physics, the

likelihood that she is taking more than one AP class is high. This being said, there is a

good chance that her friend group shares similar academic talents, and this outside peer

pressure can be a lot for an adolescent. Since she mentioned that her father is an engineer,

her family most likely expects her to perform on an advanced level and excel in the

STEM field as well. And finally, due to her own upbringing and self set standards she

holds herself to, if Chelsea has never received a low grade in her life, this would seem

rather daunting and could even lead to her questioning her own identity as a “gifted kid.”

2. Explain how Physics holds Intrinsic value, attainment value, and utility value for

Chelsea. If Chelsea decides not to drop AP Physics, what are the costs resulting

from this decision?

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Intrinsically, Chelsea explains that she has a passion for math and science and therefore

has always wanted to be an engineer. Likewise, she has built her identity upon being the

smart kid in the class, and someone who naturally understands and excels in her

academics, so her attainment value is justifiable. Finally, as far as utility value goes,

Chelsea is taking AP Physics as a way to better prepare herself for college and ultimately

the workforce, when she becomes an engineer like her father. If she decides not to drop

the course, she may have to accept the fact that she will have to work hard and put in

more effort than she is used to. Likewise, despite her earnest efforts, there is a chance that

she will end the course with a lower grade than she wants, and it could affect her GPA.

3. Explain why students in AP Physics are likely to adopt performance goals. What

factors in their environment might contribute to this orientation?

Students who take AP Physics might either have a natural interest in the sciences, or have

their identity tied in so tightly with academia that it is hard for them to differentiate the

two. Both of these aspects are factors that can lead to the adoption of performance goals.

Likewise, as I mentioned before, many times AP students will take multiple AP classes,

and consequently become a friend group of sorts. This outside pressure can help motivate

one another in friendly (or sometimes not so friendly) competitions.

4. What type of goal orientation do students in general science have? Support your

answer with details from the case. Explain how this goal orientation is typical of

adolescents.

Many of the students in the general science class are approaching it from a pragmatic

view, where they are only willing to put in just enough effort to get the job done. Because

of this, they have little to no intrinsic motivation or interest in the subject, but merely see
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it as another requisite needed before they can focus on their true passions. This is a

common thinking pattern of adolescents, as at this age they begin to question authority

and lose interest in things that they cannot directly and quickly find value in. This conept

is known as decontextualized learning, where the learner does not see the relevance of the

material.

5. What attribution do Nicholas and Chelsea make for their C+ grades in AP Physics?

Based on research on gender differences in attributions, why is Chelsea’s attribution

not surprising?

In general, the stereotype that boys are better at math and science plays a large part in the

difference between Chelsea and Nicholas’ attributions. Due to this, Nicholas is not nearly

as worried about his grade as Chelsea is. Likewise, it is proven that girls are more likely

to attribute failures to lack of ability, which leads to a decrease in motivation. This is

exactly the behavior that Chelsea exhibits after she gets her test back, viewing the C+ and

a personal failure on her part, and consequently considers dropping the course.

6. What specific suggestions would you give Mr. Womack for intrinsically motivating

students in general science? Would your suggestions differ for students in AP

Physics? If so, why and how? If not, why not?

General science students would most likely benefit from more real-world examples and

practical applications of science to a variety of fields of interest, such as the arts, sports,

etc. The AP students would benefit from this as well, however it can be assumed that

many of them are already fairly intrinsically motivated to be successful in the course, so

it might not be as crucial. However, Mr. Womack should take special consideration into

the mentality of many of his AP students, and be sure to encourage them through what
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they consider to be failures, as the likelihood that their motivation and performance will

decline when their grades drop is high.