Abstract
In this article we explore and develop the understanding of young people’s motives for (non)participation in lower secondary education. Based on a two-year study dominated by qualitative and explorative methods, we combine a focus on young peoples’ motives and goal orientations with a socio-cultural (and social constructivist) understanding of motivation/learning (Wenger, 1998; Wertsch, 1994). This combination allows us to explore the dynamic complexity of pupils’ motives for participation in school and look into how motivation is produced in the interplay between individual goals and motives and the learning climate within the school context (Ames, 1992; Dowson & McInerney, 2003; Maehr & Zusho, 2009; Jackson, 2006; Lemos, 2001). In the article, we identify key motivational orientations as they unfold in the social and learning processes that take place in the learning contexts young people are part of. As a mean to synthesise and highlight the complexities at play we introduce a situated model that visualises our results.
Highlights
In this article we explore and develop the understanding of young people’s motives forparticipation in lower secondary education
Through a two-year research project guided by an interest in gaining insight into the situated and subjective meaning making processes, that contribute to the elicitation of different goal orientations amongst young people in lower secondary education, we have explored motivational processes among young people, with a specific focus on the final years of compulsory schooling in Danish lower secondary school (Pless, Katznelson, Hjort-Madsen, & Nielsen, 2015)
There is no streaming in primary or lower secondary school, but, after finishing compulsory schooling, young people can choose different post-compulsory educational pathways: either an academically-oriented upper secondary school programme or vocational education and training (VET), the array of choice is dependent on grades2 and other assessments
Summary
In this article we explore and develop the understanding of young people’s motives for (non)participation in lower secondary education. Based on a two-year study dominated by qualitative and explorative methods, we combine a focus on young peoples’ motives and goal orientations with a socio-cultural (and social constructivist) understanding of motivation/learning (Wenger, 1998; Wertsch, 1994) This combination allows us to explore the dynamic complexity of pupils’ motives for participation in school and look into how motivation is produced in the interplay between individual goals and motives and the learning climate within the school context (Ames, 1992; Dowson & McInerney, 2003; Maehr & Zusho, 2009; Jackson, 2006; Lemos, 2001). There is no streaming in primary or lower secondary school, but, after finishing compulsory schooling, young people can choose different post-compulsory educational pathways: either an academically-oriented upper secondary school programme or vocational education and training (VET), the array of choice is dependent on grades and other assessments
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
