High School Science Experiences Associated to Mastery Orientation Towards Learning

Abstract

Abstract. An individual's motivational orientation can influence their views on their academic potential and the actions they take to achieve it. In particular, a mastery orientation towards learning has been shown to positively influence the scientific productivity of career scientists and is associated to desirable learning outcomes. This study examines which high school physics experiences (including teacher practices and other classroom experiences) are associated to changes in students' mastery orientation using exploratory factor analysis and regression on nationally-representative survey data taken from students enrolled in introductory English courses in the U.S. during the Fall of 2011. The implications of these findings for the improvement of the teaching of physics will be discussed.