Motivation and efficiency in high school physics teaching strategies

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing how the students evaluate the five teaching strategies that have been chosen and used by the teachers in the Physics classes. In addition to verifying which strategies are considered more motivating and efficient, it aims at explaining students’ motivational orientation. The instrument used consisted of closed questions, answered by a Likert scale, and open ones. The analysis of the data is based on the Content Analysis developed by Bardin. It was verified that the teaching strategy considered the most motivating is the laboratory practical class, while the most efficient ones are the problem/exercises solving class and the expository class whit whiteboard. Regarding motivational orientation, the data indicate that the motivation presented by the students has elements in a broad spectrum, involving different categories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.