Overview
The following section documents the results of my project on the effect of using ARCS motivation strategies on the motivation of students participating in Readers Rally, a voluntary program in which students read books from a list in order to participate in a quiz-bowl type competition.
I present the results gathered from the data in tables and graphs. Results include a comparison of the pre- and post-survey averages by motivation domain, with averages based on all students who completed either survey; a comparison of the pre- and post-surveys for those students who were active members and completed both surveys, and a comparison between the pre-survey averages of those students who remained active members and the pre-survey averages of those who became inactive. Results also include summary of the responses to the open-ended questions on the Student Reflection instrument. Evidence to answer the research question, “How does using Keller’s ARCS model of motivation as a framework for team meetings affect the reading motivation of students on McConnell’s Readers Rally team members?” is then presented and summarized, with those motivation domains which showed the most change highlighted.
Findings
Section A
Pre to Post Comparison – All Completed Surveys
The following table compares the pre-survey average for each motivation dimension (as coded in the MRQ) to the post-survey average. Twenty-six students completed the pre-survey; eighteen completed the post-survey. The scale used was 1 to 4, with 1 = very different from me, 2 = a little different from me, 3= a little like me, and 4 = a lot like me. The highlighted t-test value was statistically significant.
|
Dimension |
ARCS Component |
Average Pre |
Average Post |
Difference |
T-Test Value |
|
Curiosity |
Attention |
3.23 |
3.18 |
-.05 |
-0.06 |
|
Involvement |
Attention |
3.58 |
3.46 |
-.12 |
-0.30 |
|
Importance |
Relevance |
3.23 |
3.47 |
.24 |
1.49 |
|
Social |
Relevance |
2.80 |
2.47 |
-.33 |
-0.45 |
|
Compliance |
Relevance |
3.22 |
3.36 |
.14 |
2.40 |
|
Competition |
Relevance |
3.18 |
3.42 |
.24 |
0.93 |
|
Self-efficacy |
Confidence |
3.53 |
3.54 |
.01 |
0.57 |
|
Challenge |
Confidence |
3.29 |
3.32 |
.03 |
0.11 |
|
Recognition |
Satisfaction |
3.20 |
3.19 |
-.01 |
-0.18 |
Section B
Pre to Post Comparison - Active Members
The following table compares the pre-survey average for each motivation dimension to the post-survey average for each dimension for those students who remained active members of the team and completed both a pre-survey and a post-survey (17 students).
|
Dimension |
ARCS Component |
Average Pre |
Average Post |
Difference |
T-Test Value |
|
Curiosity |
Attention |
3.12 |
3.15 |
.03 |
-0.91 |
|
Involvement |
Attention |
3.56 |
3.44 |
-.12 |
-0.40 |
|
Importance |
Relevance |
3.47 |
3.53 |
.06 |
-0.32 |
|
Social |
Relevance |
2.70 |
2.49 |
-.21 |
-0.97 |
|
Compliance |
Relevance |
3.31 |
3.38 |
.07 |
-0.69 |
|
Competition |
Relevance |
3.21 |
3.38 |
.17 |
0.28 |
|
Self-efficacy |
Confidence |
3.53 |
3.51 |
-.02 |
0.16 |
|
Challenge |
Confidence |
3.20 |
3.30 |
.10 |
-0.10 |
|
Recognition |
Satisfaction |
3.04 |
3.18 |
.14 |
-1.07 |
Active Members – Number of Books Read compared to Overall Change from Pre to Post Survey
The following line graph also shows data for active members only. The graph shows the number of books read by each student, and the overall amount of change (pre-survey averages to post-survey averages) for those students.
Section C
Comparison of Pre-Survey Averages - Active Members to Inactive Members
The following table compares the pre-survey average for each dimension for those members who did not remain active to the pre-survey averages for active members (members who were still attending meetings when the post survey was administered). The highlighted t-test values were statistically significant.
|
Dimension |
ARCS Component |
Average Inactive |
Average Active |
Difference |
T-Test Value |
|
Curiosity |
Attention |
3.44 |
3.12 |
-.32 |
1.41 |
|
Involvement |
Attention |
3.60 |
3.56 |
-.04 |
0.37 |
|
Importance |
Relevance |
3.13 |
3.47 |
.34 |
3.09 |
|
Social |
Relevance |
3.00 |
2.70 |
-.30 |
1.00 |
|
Compliance |
Relevance |
3.04 |
3.31 |
.27 |
3.67 |
|
Competition |
Relevance |