Motivational Interviewing to Improve Middle School Students’ Academic Performance: A Replication Study

Abstract

Motivational interviewing (MI) is brief therapy originally designed to motivate adults to change risky or dysfunctional behavior. There is a push to use MI with middle and high school students; however, current research focuses on MI with families or teachers or to support program fidelity. In one of the few randomized studies, Strait et al. (2012) found one MI session produced statistically significant changes in middle school students’ math grades and self‐reported positive academic behavior. This study replicates Strait et al.'s study by using the exact MI protocol and similar data collection methods. In this study, 49 students were randomly assigned to either an MI (n = 25) or control (n = 24) group. As with the original MI study, there was a positive main effect on math grades. Effect sizes on academic behavioral outcomes were also similar. Independent replication, mechanisms of action research, and better understanding of why the effects are concentrated on math grades are needed.

Supports for Youth in Accelerated High School Curricula: An Initial Study of Applicability and Acceptability of a Motivational Interviewing Intervention

“…For example, Strait et al (2012) found that middle school students randomly assigned to one 50-minute school-based MI session with a school psychology trainee experienced significant improvements in their math grades as compared to those in the waitlist control condition. Findings were replicated in a follow-up study that used identical procedures with a different cohort of students (Terry, Smith, Strait, & McQuillin, 2013). Terry et al then examined dosage effects (1 vs. 2 sessions) and found that middle school students who participated in a second session had significantly higher grades in math, science, and history, as compared to improvements in only one subject area among students receiving only one session (Terry, Strait, McQuillin, & Smith, 2014).…”

“…The MAP intervention is fashioned in line with other promising school-based applications of MI (Snape & Atkinson, 2016, 2017; Strait et al, 2012; Terry et al, 2013) including those utilized with high school students at-risk for dropping out of school (Iachini et al, 2016; Iachini, Lee, DiNovo, Lutz, & Frey, 2018). Based on published literature, MI—though grounded in strong theory—has not been used as a selective intervention with adolescents taking accelerated coursework.…”

Learning to change: the rationale for the use of motivational interviewing in higher education

“…several writers (Frey, Lee, small, seeley, & Feil, 2013;Reinke, Herman, & sprick, 2011;sheldon, 2010;shepard, Herman, Reinke, & Frey, 2014) have outlined use of MI in education. Current research supporting the use of MI in schools includes: school mental health (Frey, Cloud, Lee, small, & seeley, 2011), special education (Manthey, 2011), disengaged primary age children (Atkinson & Cryer, 2015), at risk students (Hadraba, 2011;Kittles & Atkinson, 2009), truancy (Enea & dafinoiu, 2009) and academic performance (strait, smith, McQuillin, & Terry, 2012;Terry, smith, strait, & McQuillin, 2013).…”

An evaluation of training for lay providers in the use of motivational interviewing to promote academic achievement among urban youth

“…School-based mental health experts have advocated for School-Based Motivational Interviewing (SBMI) to promote students’ academic achievement (Frey et al, 2011; Strait et al, 2012; Terry, Smith, Strait, & McQuillin, 2013). Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a brief counseling style used to enhance an individual’s intrinsic motivation to change (Miller & Rollnick, 1991).…”

“…Preliminary evidence suggests that it is possible to use MI to increase students’ school performance (Strait et al, 2012; Terry et al, 2013). Originally developed in mental health settings to treat individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders, MI has also been used to motivate positive change in a number of behaviors, including dieting (Hollis, Williams, Collins, & Morgan, 2013), medication adherence (Lundahl et al, 2013) and safe sexual behavior (Lundahl, Kunz, Brownell, Tollefson, & Burke, 2010; Lundahl et al, 2013).…”