Mastery Motivation Research Articles

Association between Mastery Motivation, Executive Function, and Daily Participation of Young Children with and without Global Developmental Delays.

This study aimed to examine the group differences in participation level between children with and without global delays and to explore the associations between mastery motivation, executive function, and participation in young children with and without global developmental delays (GDD). Methods: we recruited 26 children with GDD aged 2 to 5 years and 26 children with sex- and mental age-matched developing typically (TD). The participants were assessed child development using the standardized developmental test, and their mothers were asked to fill in questionnaires, including the revised Dimension of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ 18) with preschool version to assess mastery motivation, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function with preschool version (BRIEF-P) to assess executive function, and the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM) used to obtain participation levels. Results and conclusions: young children with GDD showed significantly lower participation levels at home, daycare, and community than TD group. We found that for young children, child mastery pleasure, health condition, and total persistence were significant predictors of child participation. Therefore, coaching parents to observe and facilitate their children's motivation and executive function, as well as child developmental abilities, is important in order to enhance children's participation in daily activities.

Comparing subject-specific mastery motivation in Hungary and the Republic of Moldova

Research on mastery motivation has documented its importance in personality development and school achievement, yet there is little research that examines school subject-specific motivation, specifically cross-cultural research. The objective of this study was to investigate the school subject-specific nature of mastery motivation in the context of middle and secondary school grades 5, 7, and 9 in Hungary (N = 1121) and Moldova (N = 939) in Reading, Math, Science, English as a foreign language, Music, and Art. The findings indicated that subject-specific mastery motivation (SSMM) domains in Hungary and Moldova have different paths across grade levels. In Hungary, there was a constant decreasing trajectory across all grades in all domains with the exception of English, whereas in Moldova, the decrease was identified in Math, English, Music, and Art between the fifth and the seventh grades but not between the seventh and the ninth grades, while Reading mastery motivation levels remained stable. Upon conducting a cross-cultural comparison of SSMM levels across the countries and grades, we identified only one statistically significant difference in science mastery motivation. The study attempts to explain the absence of cross-cultural differences not only through a conventional lens focusing on the unique characteristics of individual educational systems but also by considering the cultural values associated with each country.

The influence of motivation climate on university student engagement in distance education during the pandemic: Moderating role of self‐regulation

AbstractTo investigate the influence of motivation climate and self‐regulation on university student engagement in distance education (DE) during the pandemic, a total of 436 Chinese university students were invited to participate in the online survey (including demographic variables, Chinese version of engagement scale, the perceived motivational climate scale, and the self‐regulated learning abilities scale) in the Spring semester, 2020. Bicorrelation and regression analysis were used to explore the relationship among studied variables. Results showed that mastery motivation climate had a positive relation with student engagement, while performance motivation climate had a negative relation with it. Self‐regulation could strengthen the positive relationship between mastery motivation climate and student engagement. However, the moderating role of self‐regulation was not found in the relationship between performance motivation climate and student engagement. These findings could enrich our understanding about the motivation climate–student engagement relationship from self‐regulation perspective and have implications for DE during the pandemic.

The ‘praise balance’: Uncovering the optimal recipe for mastery motivation in preschoolers

This study examined the relationship between parental praise and children's mastery motivation. The parents of 126 children aged 4–6 completed online questionnaires. Process-to-Person Praise Ratio (PPR) was calculated by subtracting the ratio of person praise from the ratio of process praise. The results revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between PPR and children's objective persistence, as well as their social persistence with adults and children. Excessive process praise and person praise reduced objective and social persistence, but when process praise slightly outweighed person praise, both objective persistence and social persistence were at their highest levels. Additionally, the relationship between PPR and gross motor persistence and mastery pleasure also followed an inverted U-shape. As PPR increased, so did both variables until they peaked, and then showed a slight decline. These findings suggest that maintaining a balance between process praise and person praise is crucial for fostering optimal mastery motivation in preschool children.

The Mediating Role of Negative Parenting and Children’s Mastery Motivation on Socioeconomic Status and Chinese Preschoolers’ Problem Behaviors

ABSTRACT This study examined the serial mediating effects of negative parenting and children’s mastery motivation on the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in Chinese preschoolers. A sample of 669 Chinese children between 3 and 6 years (M age = 4.83, SD age = 0.87, 50.4% girls) was recruited from 12 public kindergartens in a coastal city in southeastern China based on a stratified random sampling procedure. Their parents completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS), Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire for Preschool Children (DMQ 18), and Children’s Problem Behaviors Scale (CPBS). Research Findings: (1) family SES was significantly related to reduced negative parenting and children’s problem behaviors as well as increased children’s mastery motivation; (2) family SES affected children’s problem behaviors indirectly through the single mediating path of negative parenting and the single mediating path of children’s mastery motivation; and (3) negative parenting and children’s mastery motivation were identified the serial mediators between family SES and children’s problem behaviors. Practice or Policy: This study has demonstrated how family SES would interact with negative parenting practices concerning early childhood development. The findings also indicated that strategies that assist parents in adopting positive parenting practices or facilitate the development of mastery motivation in children might reduce the occurrence of children’s problem behaviors.

Reflections of South African educators on the enablement of at-risk learners with protective systems via the Read-me-to-Resilience intervention

Resilience-promoting interventions, such as the Read-me-to-Resilience intervention strategy, that consists of culturally relevant indigenous stories has been shown to encourage resilience in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) orphans. In this study, educator participants reflected on the protective systems that the Read-me-to-Resilience stories might offer for at-risk learners within their school context. Resilience protective systems include self-regulation, attachment relationships, agency and mastery motivation systems, cultural traditions and religion, cognitive competence and meaning making. The exploration of the Read-me-to-Resilience intervention as a protective strategy was rooted in the social-ecological perspective of resilience, which focuses on positive adjustment to adversity through resilience protective systems. Fifteen South African educators were requested to implement the Read-me-to-Resilience intervention strategy within their school context. Participation in the study was voluntary. An explorative qualitative research approach was used. Three unstructured focus-group interviews were conducted, and research diaries were kept by the participants. The educator participants reported that the indigenous African stories had promoted problem-solving and leadership skills, personal positive strengths and attachment relationships and had stimulated renewed appreciation for resources within the traditional African culture. Relevant literature on protective systems for resilience development supports my research findings. It is proposed that culturally relevant stories, as an inexpensive strategy, should be utilised within the school community to promote adaptive and preventive protective systems for at-risk learners.

The Dynamics of Mastery Motivation and Its Relationship with Self-Concept in Music Education.

Musical education hinges on students' mastery motivation and self-concept, which are crucial for effective musical learning. Despite the acknowledgement of their individual importance, the relationship between these factors within music education remains unexplored. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the dynamics of mastery motivation (MM) and its relationship with self-concept (SC) in the context of music education. A survey was administered to 139 Hungarian grade 7 students, employing a musical MM questionnaire, a musical SC inquiry, and the collection of demographic information collection. We employed descriptive statistics (IBM SPSS 23), a Rasch analysis (WINSTEPS), and correlational and regression analyses (R programming and SmartPLS4) for data analysis. The findings demonstrated that the utilized instruments were reliable and valid in measuring students' MM and SC in music education. This study revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.778) between students' MM and SC, with moderate to strong inter-relationships among various subfactors. Furthermore, comparisons unveiled significant disparities in musical MM across school levels, with higher MM and SC observed among female students. Furthermore, gender, a musical family background, and awareness of musical lesson usefulness were predictive factors for both students' MM and SC within music education. This study provides valuable insights for professionals and policy makers to enhance music education, nurturing students' musical growth effectively. By understanding the relationship between MM and SC and considering predictive factors, stakeholders can develop strategies that optimize the impact of music education on students' musical development.

Early social referencing predicts object mastery motivation in infancy: Social antecedents of object mastery motivation.

The researchers sought to understand the typical development of social referencing and object mastery motivation in infancy and to determine the relationship between social referencing and object mastery behaviors in infants from 7 to 22months of age. The study included 36 infants who were followed as part of a longitudinal study of at-risk infants but were not determined to need care in the neonatal intesive care unit at birth. Both mastery behaviors of persistence and success showed a statistically significant effect of age, while social behaviors remained stable from 7 to 22months. Social behaviors at 7 and 10months were correlated with persistence at 22months and success at 16 to 22months demonstrating that early social referencing predicts object mastery behaviors in later infancy. Further research should determine if this trend extends to early childhood.

Assessment of Mastery Motivation and Neurodevelopment of Young Children at High Risk for Developmental Delays.

Young children's mastery motivation and neurodevelopmental evaluation can contribute to overall early assessment for early intervention evaluation. At present, children born preterm (<37 weeks gestation) and with a low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) are at increased risk of experiencing developmental delays and more nuanced cognitive and language challenges. The main objective of this exploratory study was to examine the connection between preterm children's mastery motivation and their neurodevelopment, as well as to determine whether assessing mastery motivation can enhance assessment practices for early intervention (EI) programs. Parents of children born preterm completed the revised Dimensions of Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DMQ18). Neurodevelopment was measured on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Results revealed significant correlations between DMQ18 and BSID-III measures. Multivariate analysis showed that infants and toddlers born with a very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) scored significantly lower on the infant DMQ18 and the BSID-III measures. Regression analyses revealed that birth weight and home environment were significant predictors of the children's eligibility for EI programs. Infants' social persistence with other children, gross motor persistence, and mastery pleasure, as well as toddlers' objective cognitive persistence, social persistence with adults, gross motor persistence, mastery pleasure, and negative reaction to frustration, were important markers for evidenced-based practices in EI programs. This study demonstrates the utility of the DMQ18 as a contributory assessment measure and the importance of birth weight and home environment in predicting EI enrollment.

Longitudinal association between children’s mastery motivation and cognitive school readiness: Executive functioning and social–emotional competence as potential mediators

This study investigated the direct relationships between kindergarten children’s object and social mastery motivation and future cognitive school readiness and the indirect relationships mediated through executive functioning and social–emotional competence in the school context. The participants were 103 Hong Kong kindergarten children (45.6% girls; mean age = 60.4 months) and their teachers. The teachers reported the children’s demographic information and object and social mastery motivation at Time 1 (in the middle of the school year). They rated the children’s executive functioning, social–emotional competence and cognitive school readiness at Time 2 (at the end of the school year). The results from the path analysis model revealed that the children’s object mastery motivation at Time 1, but not their social mastery motivation, directly predicted their cognitive school readiness at Time 2. The indirect relationships between (a) object mastery motivation at Time 1 and cognitive school readiness at Time 2 mediated through executive functioning (indirect effect: β =.32, SE =.05, p <.001) and (b) social mastery motivation at Time 1 and cognitive school readiness at Time 2 mediated through social–emotional competence (indirect effect: β =.09, SE =.03, p <.01) were significant. The findings highlight the differential roles of object and social mastery motivation in predicting children’s cognitive school readiness and propose children’s executive functioning and social–emotional competence as processes mediating the relationships. The results also suggest the desirability of providing kindergarten children with extensive play opportunities and materials to support their mastery motivation and cognitive school readiness.

Approaches to Learning in Elementary Classrooms: Contribution of Mastery Motivation and Executive Functions on Academic Achievement

Approaches to Learning in Elementary Classrooms: Contribution of Mastery Motivation and Executive Functions on Academic Achievement

Adaptive behavior and mastery motivation in children with physical disabilities

ABSTRACT Background Adaptive behavior consists of conceptual, social, and practical skills and describes the ability of individuals to manage environmental demands, interact with others, and engage in activities to meet ones needs. Mastery motivation is an intrinsic characteristic that enables persistence when attempting to master a skill. Children with physical disabilities often demonstrate less effective adaptive behaviors and lower mastery motivation than their peers without disabilities, which may subsequently impact development and participation in daily activities. Therefore, it may be beneficial for pediatric rehabilitation practitioners to focus intentionally on facilitating effective adaptive behaviors in children with physical disabilities as they aim to support child development and function. Objective This perspective paper highlights the importance of adaptive behavior for children with physical disabilities, discusses methods of assessment, and illustrates intervention principles and strategies to support the development of appropriate adaptive behaviors across childhood. Key intervention principles include: 1) engage children and address motivation; 2) collaborate with others; 3) support real-life meaningful experiences; 4) scaffold the just-right challenge; and 5) guide children in discovering solutions.

Moderators of the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial action

PurposeThe role of entrepreneurship education in promoting entrepreneurial actions remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the logic of different types of entrepreneurship education and the effect of learning characteristics in promoting entrepreneurial actions among student entrepreneurs in the higher education setting.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a quantitative approach involving the use of survey data collected via an Internet tool. The constructs of variables are measured using previously tested scales. The data were analysed using partial least squares modelling because it can handle formative and reflective constructs in the same model and is capable of testing for moderation.FindingsThe findings illustrate that voluntary entrepreneurship education generates learning outcomes in terms of students' entrepreneurial actions, which is important because without action, a venture will never be launched. This is especially so if students show a deep learning orientation, while mastery motivation showed a significant and negative moderating effect. This is not the case for compulsory entrepreneurship education.Originality/valueEmbedded in construal level theory, this paper offers knowledge that can help to advance entrepreneurship education research (1) by uncovering the role of different types of entrepreneurship education interventions, (2) by considering students' entrepreneurial actions as the dependent variable and (3) by unravelling the role of students' learning characteristics in the efficacy of entrepreneurship education interventions. By doing this, the study addresses recent repeated calls for more fine-grained research focused on how university students learn in entrepreneurship in higher education and its effects.

Subject Specific Mastery Motivation in Moldovan Middle School Students.

Given the crucial role of mastery motivation in the cognitive development of children, the present study investigates subject-specific mastery motivation in the multilingual educational system of the Republic of Moldova. We applied cross-sectional data from fifth, seventh, and ninth graders studying either in the Romanian (n = 583) or Russian (n = 353) language using the Subject Specific Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (SSMMQ). To ensure the validity of the comparison of latent mean differences, the Romanian and Russian versions of SSMMQ were validated and measurement invariance of the constructs across language, grade, and gender was assessed. The full scalar invariance across grades and gender and the partial scalar invariance across language held. Thus, a comparison of latent mean differences across these three groups is plausible. The findings proved that there was no difference between the Romanian and Russian samples, but we found girls self-rated themselves significantly higher than boys in the Reading, Art, and Music mastery motivation scales. Results with respect to the comparison of latent mean differences between the grade levels demonstrated that the Reading mastery motivation of the Moldovan students stayed stable from fifth to ninth grades, whereas Art had a constant declining path.

Assessing Children’s Mastery Motivation using the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ): Theoretical and Practical Consideration

Bibliography of the reviewed book: Morgan, G. A., Liao, H.-F., &amp; Józsa, K. (Eds.) (2020). Assessing Mastery Motivation in Children Using the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ). Gödöllő: Szent István Egyetem.http://www.staff.u-szeged.hu/~jozsa/DMQbook.html

Association Between Children’s Home Play Opportunity and School Readiness: Object and Social Mastery Motivation as Mediators?

ABSTRACT This study investigated the direct relationship between home play opportunity and prospective school readiness, and the indirect relationships as mediated through object and social mastery motivation among Hong Kong Chinese kindergarten children. Participants were 106 local children (44.4% girls, mean age = 60.0 months) and their parents and teachers. Parents reported the demographic information and children’s home play opportunity at time 1 (beginning of the school year), whereas children’s object mastery motivation, social mastery motivation, and school readiness were reported by their teachers at time 2 (six months later). Research Findings: Results from the path analytic model revealed that children’s home play opportunity significantly predicted their object mastery motivation, but not social mastery motivation or school readiness. Both object and social mastery motivation were positively associated with school readiness. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between home play opportunity, object mastery motivation, and school readiness was significant, but the one via social mastery motivation was non-significant. Practice or Policy: The findings highlight the collective roles of object and social mastery motivation in predicting children’s school readiness. The results also suggest the desirability of providing kindergarten children with a varied and accessible home play environment which may promote their mastery motivation and school readiness.

Comparative study of Russian- and Romanian-speaking students’ mastery motivation in the Republic of Moldova

Recent empirical research has demonstrated the importance of mastery motivation in child development. Therefore, it is essential to have valid and reliable instruments to measure this variable. The Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaires (DMQ 18) was validated in English, Hungarian, Chinese and Spanish. In this article, we evaluate the psychometric properties of Romanian and Russian versions of DMQ 18 that were piloted simultaneously. The study sample consisted of 315 fifth-grade students studying in Russian language schools or Romanian language schools. Reliability of these two versions was demonstrated by good internal consistency. Factor analysis that fits well the theoretical dimensions provided evidence of construct validity. Moreover, this publication presents a comparative ethnic study of Russian- and Romanian-speaking school-aged students from the Republic of Moldova and highlights ethnic differences in mastery motivation as perceived by students.

General surgery resident motivation: the effect of formative compared to summative simulated skills assessments

Surgical residents undergo numerous summative and formative assessments throughout training. However, it is unknown how perceptions of assessment intention and use impact trainee motivation and subsequent performance outcomes. We use goal orientation theory to explore how resident perception of assessment type influences motivation levels. We conducted a prospective cohort study of general surgery residents’ motivation, with residents completing an electronic survey before a simulated surgical skills assessment. Items included resident perception of assessment type (formative vs summative), motivation scores (average of responses, 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree), and post-graduate year (PGY). Mastery and performance motivation scores were compared based on perceived assessment type and PGY level. Sixty of 63 residents (RR = 95%) completed the survey. Residents who felt the assessment was formative had significantly higher mastery motivation scores than those who felt it was summative (mean = 4.1 vs 3.4, p = 0.006). Motivation scores varied significantly between residents of differing PGY levels, specific to mastery motivation (p < 0.001) with no differences seen in performance motivation. PGY1 and PGY3 residents had significantly higher mean mastery motivation scores than PGY5 residents (PGY1: 4.4, PGY3: 4.0 vs PGY5: 2.8, p < 0.01). Trainees who believe they are completing a skills assessment with the goal of skill development are more likely to indicate they are motivated to master the skill. Further, we demonstrate that more junior trainees exhibit higher mastery motivation than chief residents.

Development and Application of FOCUS App for Assessment of Approaches to Learning in 3–8-Year-Old Children in Kenya: A Design-Based Research Approach

Performance-based tools to assess school readiness domains such as Approaches to Learning are lacking in Low and Middle-Income Countries such as Kenya. This study aims to develop the Kenyan version of the FOCUS app (Finding Out Children's Unique Strengths), a game-like computer tablet assessment of two Approaches to Learning domains: mastery motivation and executive functions. We used a design-based research approach to develop and validate the FOCUS app, initially designed for the US and Hungarian Cultures, to suit the Kenyan context. We later followed children longitudinally from preschool to grade 1, to assess the applicability of the FOCUS app to the two grade levels. Results showed that the FOCUS app is valid and reliable. There was no significant difference in mastery motivation between the two waves. The FOCUS App can complement other school readiness tools to assess Approaches to Learning as one of the strategies to enhance school and life success.

The development and prediction of young children's behavioral mastery motivation

The goal of this study was to investigate the development of young children's goal-directed behaviors in challenging settings––an important behavioral component of mastery motivation – and to examine the relations of maternal warmth and control to its trajectory from toddlerhood to preschool age. A behavioral component of mastery motivation was observed during children's (N = 251, 140 boys) increasingly challenging cognitive tasks at 18, 30, 42, and 54 months of age. Maternal warmth and assertive physical control were observed in both the challenging cognitive task and a challenging social task (i.e., clean-up task) at 18 months. A latent basis growth curve was identified, which suggested that this aspect of children's mastery motivation increased at different speeds from 18 to 54 months. Specifically, it increased 25% of the overall change between 18 and 30 months, increased only 2% between 30 to 42 months, and then increased by 73% from 42 to 54 months. Maternal high warmth and low assertive physical control during the challenging cognitive task were related to a higher initial intercept but a slower increasing slope of this aspect of mastery motivation over time. In a somewhat similar manner, in the challenging social task, maternal high warmth and low maternal assertive physical control were at least marginally related to a high initial intercept, but the two maternal behaviors were unrelated to the slope. This study is one of the first to identify the longitudinal developmental trajectory of this behavioral component of mastery motivation in very young children, and the results point to the importance of reducing maternal assertive physical control across contexts to foster the early development of mastery motivation.