A Mixed Methods Study of the Relationship between Student Perceptions of Teacher-Student Interactions and Motivation in Middle Level Science

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined the relationship between middle level science students’ perceptions of teacher-student interactions and students’ science motivation, particulary their efficacy, value, and goal orientation for learning science. In this sequential explanatory design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected in two phases, with quantitative data in the first phase informing the selection of participants for the qualitative phase that followed. Results from phase one indicated that students’ perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviors were positively correlated with their efficacy for learning science, value for learning science, and mastery orientation. Results from phase two revealed themes related to students’ construction of their perceptions of teacher interpersonal behavior and dimensions of their efficacy and task value for science. Theoretical implications, implications for educational practice, and future research directions are also discussed.