Adolescent motivation to attend youth programs: A mixed-methods investigation

Akiva, Thomas; Horner, Christy Galletta

doi:10.1080/10888691.2015.1127162

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The current study contributes to the limited body of research on motivational development in organized youth programs, specifically arts-based afterschool programs. Consistent with previous research, youth in our study identified program content, staff, and peers as important sources of motivation to engage in program activities (Avika & Horner, 2016;Fredricks et al, 2010;Loder & Hirsch, 2003). We considered youths' descriptions of developing competence and identity development as themes related to program content, as youth referred to program activities and core aspects of the program's goals in their narratives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Investigating motivation and engagement in an urban afterschool arts and leadership program

Chung

Jusu²,

Christensen

et al. 2017

Journal Community Psychology

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Despite the potential benefits of afterschool arts‐based programs on development, urban youth in low‐income areas are unlikely to participate in these activities. The aim of the current study was to investigate motivation and engagement in an arts and leadership afterschool program among 10 urban, predominantly African American youth. We took a mixed‐methods approach, as limited research has examined motivational processes in arts‐based programs. Youth identified program content, staff, and peers as important sources of motivation. Specifically, the program leader played multiple roles in youths’ lives, and it is critical to pay careful attention to how youth experience and learn to navigate these complex relationships. Youth especially valued opportunities to develop a sense of competence (e.g., learn teamwork skills) and engage in identity work (e.g., gain a better sense of themselves), and they envisioned their program participation having a positive influence on motivation in their everyday lives outside of program activities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Investigating motivation and engagement in an urban afterschool arts and leadership program

Chung

Jusu²,

Christensen

et al. 2017

Journal Community Psychology

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show abstract

“…The “internal pathway” model that providers described likely reflects the incentive structure in place for voluntarily attended programs. Voluntarily attended youth programs by their nature must contend with the challenges of recruitment—and so, in the absence of policies or grant guidelines that incentivize cross‐program collaboration, it is in their interest to maximize within‐program participation (cf., Akiva & Horner, ). Under current incentive structures, adult leaders of such programs are presented with a form of the famous Prisoner's Dilemma: Although it may be better for all youth programs if every program supported between‐program pathways, a single program leader encouraging youth to find opportunities in other programs risks losing youth (and maybe funding) without gaining new youth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The "internal pathway" model that providers described likely reflects the incentive structure in place for voluntarily attended programs. Voluntarily attended youth programs by their nature must contend with the challenges of recruitment-and so, in the absence of policies or grant guidelines that incentivize cross-program collaboration, it is in their interest to maximize within-program participation (cf., Akiva & Horner, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are we ready for citywide learning? Examining the nature of within‐ and between‐program pathways in a community‐wide learning initiative

Akiva

Kehoe

Schunn

2017

Journal Community Psychology

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Learning and development occur over time across multiple settings both in‐ and out‐of‐school. However, educational programs have not been designed for coordination across settings. Successfully supporting community‐wide youth learning requires greater understanding of how youth may move between settings and the learning pathways available to them. We investigated this topic with data from the adult leaders of 17 programs that participated in a regional summer learning initiative. Respondents tended to conceptualize within‐program pathways (e.g., offering more advanced activities in their organization to current participants) but rarely described actively encouraging youth to move to related programs in other organizations. The results suggest that realization of supportive communities for cross‐program learning and development will require shifts in models of knowledge sharing and program incentive structures.

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“…This is particularly important for underserved youth, who are far less likely than their more privileged peers to experience environments where their basic psychological needs are met consistently (Heckman, 2007;Tough, 2016), and who in many cases are assigned to-rather than self-joining-youth development programs, which they perceive as a form of remediation or punishment (Jones, 2017). Both recruiting students to attend after-school programs and keeping them engaged over time are ongoing challenges for many practitioners (Akiva & Horner, 2016;Berry & LaVelle, 2013); these problems are exacerbated for underserved youth who frequently face competing demands from family or jobs and who may experience transportation challenges. In general, more work must be done to create and refine actionable youth development models that longitudinally guide underserved youth through processes of motivational internalization.…”

Section: Organismic Integration Theory: Internalizing Extrinsic Motivmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation (Constructs) Made Simpler: Adapting Self-Determination Theory for Community-Based Youth Development Programs

Jones

Feigenbaum

Jones

2021

JYD

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Motivation is a key factor for enhancing psychological engagement among underserved youth. However, the abundance of motivational constructs complicates the translation of theory into practice by community-based youth development programs. This paper simplifies the translation process, presenting an actionable motivation model derived from Ryan and Deci’s (2000) self-determination theory (SDT) and its sub-construct, organismic integration theory (OIT). This model was developed by Youth Enrichment Services (YES), a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that cultivates long-term relationships, academic and professional success, and community engagement among low-income, adolescent students of color. Although intrinsic motivation to learn is more positively associated with psychological engagement than extrinsic motivation, contemporary institutions are built around extrinsic incentives. Therefore, guided by OIT, this model cultivates the gradual internalization of motivational regulation by supporting youth’s psychological needs of relatedness, competences, and autonomy. As a practical application of self-determination theory, this model holds promise for adoption by other youth development programs.

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Adolescent motivation to attend youth programs: A mixed-methods investigation

Cited by 27 publications

References 39 publications

Investigating motivation and engagement in an urban afterschool arts and leadership program

Investigating motivation and engagement in an urban afterschool arts and leadership program

Are we ready for citywide learning? Examining the nature of within‐ and between‐program pathways in a community‐wide learning initiative

Motivation (Constructs) Made Simpler: Adapting Self-Determination Theory for Community-Based Youth Development Programs

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