Chapter 8 - Students' Motivation During the Middle School Years

Abstract

This chapter discusses the students' motivation during the middle school years. The early adolescent developmental period is one in which individuals experience many changes, including the biological changes associated with puberty, important changes in relations with family and peers, and the social and educational changes resulting from transitions from elementary to high school. This chapter focuses the gender differences in motivation and self-concept at early adolescence. It also discusses the important biological and cognitive changes that occur during early adolescence, to provide background for our discussion of changes in children's self-concepts and motivation. The issue of the way self-esteem changes at early adolescence has been an important concern. Middle schools reform efforts argue that many middle schools have improved the climate of their school, particularly relations between teachers and students, but few have changed their instructional practices. Finally, the reforms appear very promising, and results of some of the early evaluations of their effects have been quite positive. Continuing such work is a priority for the new millennium.