In this meta-analysis, we examined the effects on students' motivation of studentcentered, proble... more In this meta-analysis, we examined the effects on students' motivation of studentcentered, problem-driven learning methods compared to teacher-centered/lecturebased learning. Specifically, we considered problem-based (PBL), project-based (PjBL), and case-based learning (CBL). We viewed motivation as a multifaceted construct consisting of students' beliefs (competence and control beliefs), perceptions of task value (interest and importance), and reasons for engaging in tasks (intrinsic or extrinsic). In addition, we included students' attitudes toward school subjects (e.g., science). We included 139 subsamples from the 132 included reports (83 PBL, 37 PjBL, and 19 CBL subsamples). Overall, PBL, PjBL, and CBL had a small to moderate, heterogeneous positive effect (d = 0.498) on motivation. Moderator analyses revealed that larger effect sizes were found for students' beliefs, values, and attitudes compared to students' reasons for studying. No differences were found between the three instructional methods on motivation. However, effect sizes were larger when problem-driven learning was applied in a single course (when compared to a curriculum-level approach). Larger effects were also found in some academic domains (i.e., healthcare and STEM) than in others. While the impact of problemdriven learning on motivation is generally positive, the intricate interplay of factors such as academic domain and implementation level underscores the need for a nuanced approach to leveraging these instructional methods effectively with regard to increasing student motivation.
Accurately monitoring one's learning processes during self-regulated learning depends on using th... more Accurately monitoring one's learning processes during self-regulated learning depends on using the right cues, one of which could be perceived mental effort. A meta-analysis by found a negative association between mental effort and monitoring judgments (r = -.35), suggesting that the amount of mental effort experienced during a learning task is usually negatively correlated with learners' perception of learning. However, it is unclear how monitoring judgments and perceptions of mental effort relate to learning outcomes. To examine if perceived mental effort is a diagnostic cue for learning outcomes, and whether monitoring judgments mediate this relationship, we employed a meta-analytic structural equation model. Results indicated a negative, moderate association between perceived mental effort and monitoring judgments (β = -.19), a positive, large association between monitoring judgments and learning outcomes (β = .29), and a negative, moderate indirect association between perceived mental effort and learning outcomes (β = -.05), which was mediated by monitoring judgments. Our subgroup analysis did not reveal any significant differences across moderators potentially due to the limited number of studies included per moderator category. Findings suggest that when learners perceive higher levels of mental effort, they exhibit lower learning (confidence) judgments, which relates to lower actual learning outcomes. Thus, learners seem to use perceived mental effort as a cue to judge their learning while perceived mental effort only indirectly relates to actual learning outcomes.
Critical thinking (CT) is widely regarded as an important competence to obtain in education. Stud... more Critical thinking (CT) is widely regarded as an important competence to obtain in education. Students' exposure to problems and collaboration have been proven helpful in promoting CT processes. These elements are present in student-centered instructional environments such as problem-based and project-based learning (P(j) BL). Next to CT, also higher-order thinking (HOT) and critical-analytic thinking (CAT) contain elements that are present in and fostered by P(j)BL. However, HOT, CT, and CAT definitions are often ill-defined and overlap. The present systematic review, therefore, investigated how HOT, CT, and CAT were conceptualized in P(j) BL environments. Another aim of this study was to review the evidence on the effectiveness of P(j)BL environments in fostering HOT, CT, or CAT. Results demonstrated an absence of CAT in P(j)BL research and a stronger focus on CT processes than CT dispositions (i.e., trait-like tendency or willingness to engage in CT). Further, while we found positive effects of P(j)BL on HOT and CT, there was a lack of clarity and consistency in how researchers conceptualized and measured these forms of thinking. Also, essential components of P(j)BL were often overlooked. Finally, we identified various design issues in effect studies, such as the lack of control groups, that bring the reported outcomes of those investigations into question.
De beschreven onderzoeken in dit artikel zijn onderdeel van het proefschrift "Fostering Student-F... more De beschreven onderzoeken in dit artikel zijn onderdeel van het proefschrift "Fostering Student-Faculty Relationships in Higher Education: How Relationship Quality Affects Student Involvement", dat op 10 maart 2021 werd verdedigd door dr. Ingrid Snijders ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Een hard copy van het proefschrift is verkrijgbaar op verzoek.
Problem-based learning (PBL) requires students to formulate learning issues that need to be answe... more Problem-based learning (PBL) requires students to formulate learning issues that need to be answered by studying multiple literature resources. Advocates of high instructional guidance argue that this is too cognitively demanding for students and ineffective for learning. Therefore, we examined the effects of studying an integrated model answer in the self-study phase in PBL. Participants (N ¼ 62) engaged in a simulated group discussion, ending with the establishment of learning issues. Then they either studied integrated model answers to the learning issues, or undertook a standard PBL self-study phase in which students needed to construct their own answers based on multiple literature resources. Higher learning outcomes were obtained for the participants who studied integrated model answers when compared to the participants who constructed their own answers. These higher learning outcomes were obtained with lower investment of self-study and equal investment of mental effort during learning.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, Jun 2, 2020
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived problem quality in the relatio... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived problem quality in the relationship between students' (N = 226) achievement goals and autonomous motivation to study in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Specifically, the relationships between students' achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and mastery-avoidance goals), problem quality-related characteristics (triggering interest, familiarity, stimulating collaborative learning, resulting in intended learning objectives, and promoting critical reasoning), and autonomous motivation to study were investigated. The findings indicate that the perceived quality of problems (i.e., familiarity, resulting in intended learning objectives, promoting critical reasoning, and by that triggering interest) fosters autonomous motivation to study and that the perception of this quality is influenced by students' achievement goals. Therefore, the quality of problems and students' achievement goals should be taken into account in a PBL environment.
Several major theories have been established in research on motivation in education to describe, ... more Several major theories have been established in research on motivation in education to describe, explain, and predict the direction, initiation, intensity, and persistence of learning behaviors. The most commonly cited theories of academic motivation include expectancy-value theory, social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, interest theory, achievement goal theory, and attribution theory. To gain a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences among these prominent theories, we present an integrative framework based on an action model (Heckhausen & Heckhausen, 2018). The basic model is deliberately parsimonious, consisting of six stages of action: the situation, the self, the goal, the action, the outcome, and the consequences. Motivational constructs from each major theory are related to these determinants in the course of action, mainly revealing differences and to a lesser extent commonalities. In the integrative model, learning outcomes represent a typical i...
Several studies show that teaching quality is an important predictor of students’ academic achiev... more Several studies show that teaching quality is an important predictor of students’ academic achievement. However, less is known about factors that are important for teaching quality. In the present study, it was hypothesized that school population composition [i.e., students’ socioeconomic status (SES) and migration background], workload, and teachers’ utility values toward teaching would be important factors related to their teaching quality. The Dutch Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 was explored (N = 1,884, secondary school teachers and 116 school leaders) to test our hypotheses. Data gathering followed a two-step procedure. Firstly, 200 schools were randomly selected. Secondly, 20 teachers within each school were randomly selected. Multi-item scales operationalized teaching quality on teachers’ self-reported classroom management, cognitive activation, clarity of instruction, and positive student-teacher relationships. Multilevel analyses showed that teacher...
... These problems do not necessarily have one single solution and usually have multiple ways to ... more ... These problems do not necessarily have one single solution and usually have multiple ways to achieve a solution or understanding of its underlying mechanisms ( [Loyens et al., 2007] , [Mayer and Wittrock, 2006] and [Zimmerman and Campillo, 2003] ). ...
<p>Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional method, with roots in c... more <p>Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional method, with roots in constructivist theory of learning. Since its origin at McMaster University in Canada, PBL has been implemented in numerous programs across many domains and many educational levels worldwide. In PBL, small groups of 10–12 students learn in the context of meaningful problems that describe observable phenomena or events. The PBL process consists of three phases. The first is the initial discussion phase in which the problem at hand is discussed, based on prior knowledge. This initial phase leads to the formulation of learning issues (i.e., questions) that students will answer during the next phase, the self-study phase. Here, they independently select and study a variety of literature resources. During the third and final phase, the reporting phase, students share their findings with each other and critically evaluate the answers to the learning issues. A tutor guides the first and third phase of the process. PBL is based on principles from cognitive and educational psychology that have demonstrated their capacity to foster learning. More specifically, four principles are incorporated in the PBL process: (a) connection to prior knowledge, (b) collaborative learning among students, but also among teachers, (c) gradual development of autonomy, and (d) a focus on the application and transfer of knowledge. Research on the effects of PBL in terms of knowledge acquisition shows that students in traditional, direct instruction curricula tend to perform better on assessments of basic science knowledge. However, differences between PBL students and students in direct instruction classrooms on knowledge tests tend to diminish over time. There is, however, a lack of controlled experiments in this line of PBL research. Directions for future research should focus on combining the best of both direct and student-centered instruction, explore the possibilities of hybrid forms, and investigate how the alignment of scale and didactics of an instructional method could be optimized.</p>
ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the importance of initial topic interest (i.e., expectation of ... more ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the importance of initial topic interest (i.e., expectation of interest) and tutors’ autonomy-supportive or controlling instructional styles for students’ motivation and performance in problem-based learning (PBL). In Study 1 (N = 93, a lab experiment), each student participated in a simulated group discussion in which tutor instructions were manipulated to be autonomy supportive, internally controlling, or externally controlling. Controlling tutor instructions led to higher controlled motivation, but autonomy-supportive instructions did not relate to students’ autonomous motivation and performance measures. Higher topic interest resulted in higher autonomous motivation and contributed indirectly to more self-study time and persistence. Self-study time was in turn associated with better test performance. A field study (N = 287, Study 2) supported the findings of Study 1. Tutor-provided autonomy support was unrelated to autonomous motivation, while a controlling instructional style led to higher controlled motivation and negatively affected performance. Again, topic interest positively influenced autonomous motivation and subsequent performance. Both studies demonstrate the importance of students’ initial topic interest for subsequent performance in PBL. Results also indicate that in PBL, tutor-provided autonomy support does not improve autonomous motivation and performance, whereas controlling tutoring can promote controlled motivation and hamper performance. Implications and further research opportunities are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
The cultivation of interest is an important aim of education. When encountering new information, ... more The cultivation of interest is an important aim of education. When encountering new information, the learners’ situational interest is an essential step in the interest development process. Situational interest represents the learner’s heightened attentional focus toward task characteristics (triggered interest) and elevated positive feelings and values (maintained interest) toward the newly taught knowledge. A growth mindset, the belief that ability is malleable through effort and practice, has been shown to foster mastery goals, reduce perceived cognitive load, and improve learning performance, all of which are positive predictors of interest. The present randomized controlled experiment evaluated the effect of inducing a growth mindset on 10th graders’ (n = 138) situational interest in a novel physics topic on how sound travels. In comparison to the control group, the experimental group showed higher maintained interest on the feeling and value dimensions of situational interest,...
In this meta-analysis, we examined the effects on students' motivation of studentcentered, proble... more In this meta-analysis, we examined the effects on students' motivation of studentcentered, problem-driven learning methods compared to teacher-centered/lecturebased learning. Specifically, we considered problem-based (PBL), project-based (PjBL), and case-based learning (CBL). We viewed motivation as a multifaceted construct consisting of students' beliefs (competence and control beliefs), perceptions of task value (interest and importance), and reasons for engaging in tasks (intrinsic or extrinsic). In addition, we included students' attitudes toward school subjects (e.g., science). We included 139 subsamples from the 132 included reports (83 PBL, 37 PjBL, and 19 CBL subsamples). Overall, PBL, PjBL, and CBL had a small to moderate, heterogeneous positive effect (d = 0.498) on motivation. Moderator analyses revealed that larger effect sizes were found for students' beliefs, values, and attitudes compared to students' reasons for studying. No differences were found between the three instructional methods on motivation. However, effect sizes were larger when problem-driven learning was applied in a single course (when compared to a curriculum-level approach). Larger effects were also found in some academic domains (i.e., healthcare and STEM) than in others. While the impact of problemdriven learning on motivation is generally positive, the intricate interplay of factors such as academic domain and implementation level underscores the need for a nuanced approach to leveraging these instructional methods effectively with regard to increasing student motivation.
Accurately monitoring one's learning processes during self-regulated learning depends on using th... more Accurately monitoring one's learning processes during self-regulated learning depends on using the right cues, one of which could be perceived mental effort. A meta-analysis by found a negative association between mental effort and monitoring judgments (r = -.35), suggesting that the amount of mental effort experienced during a learning task is usually negatively correlated with learners' perception of learning. However, it is unclear how monitoring judgments and perceptions of mental effort relate to learning outcomes. To examine if perceived mental effort is a diagnostic cue for learning outcomes, and whether monitoring judgments mediate this relationship, we employed a meta-analytic structural equation model. Results indicated a negative, moderate association between perceived mental effort and monitoring judgments (β = -.19), a positive, large association between monitoring judgments and learning outcomes (β = .29), and a negative, moderate indirect association between perceived mental effort and learning outcomes (β = -.05), which was mediated by monitoring judgments. Our subgroup analysis did not reveal any significant differences across moderators potentially due to the limited number of studies included per moderator category. Findings suggest that when learners perceive higher levels of mental effort, they exhibit lower learning (confidence) judgments, which relates to lower actual learning outcomes. Thus, learners seem to use perceived mental effort as a cue to judge their learning while perceived mental effort only indirectly relates to actual learning outcomes.
Critical thinking (CT) is widely regarded as an important competence to obtain in education. Stud... more Critical thinking (CT) is widely regarded as an important competence to obtain in education. Students' exposure to problems and collaboration have been proven helpful in promoting CT processes. These elements are present in student-centered instructional environments such as problem-based and project-based learning (P(j) BL). Next to CT, also higher-order thinking (HOT) and critical-analytic thinking (CAT) contain elements that are present in and fostered by P(j)BL. However, HOT, CT, and CAT definitions are often ill-defined and overlap. The present systematic review, therefore, investigated how HOT, CT, and CAT were conceptualized in P(j) BL environments. Another aim of this study was to review the evidence on the effectiveness of P(j)BL environments in fostering HOT, CT, or CAT. Results demonstrated an absence of CAT in P(j)BL research and a stronger focus on CT processes than CT dispositions (i.e., trait-like tendency or willingness to engage in CT). Further, while we found positive effects of P(j)BL on HOT and CT, there was a lack of clarity and consistency in how researchers conceptualized and measured these forms of thinking. Also, essential components of P(j)BL were often overlooked. Finally, we identified various design issues in effect studies, such as the lack of control groups, that bring the reported outcomes of those investigations into question.
De beschreven onderzoeken in dit artikel zijn onderdeel van het proefschrift "Fostering Student-F... more De beschreven onderzoeken in dit artikel zijn onderdeel van het proefschrift "Fostering Student-Faculty Relationships in Higher Education: How Relationship Quality Affects Student Involvement", dat op 10 maart 2021 werd verdedigd door dr. Ingrid Snijders ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Een hard copy van het proefschrift is verkrijgbaar op verzoek.
Problem-based learning (PBL) requires students to formulate learning issues that need to be answe... more Problem-based learning (PBL) requires students to formulate learning issues that need to be answered by studying multiple literature resources. Advocates of high instructional guidance argue that this is too cognitively demanding for students and ineffective for learning. Therefore, we examined the effects of studying an integrated model answer in the self-study phase in PBL. Participants (N ¼ 62) engaged in a simulated group discussion, ending with the establishment of learning issues. Then they either studied integrated model answers to the learning issues, or undertook a standard PBL self-study phase in which students needed to construct their own answers based on multiple literature resources. Higher learning outcomes were obtained for the participants who studied integrated model answers when compared to the participants who constructed their own answers. These higher learning outcomes were obtained with lower investment of self-study and equal investment of mental effort during learning.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, Jun 2, 2020
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived problem quality in the relatio... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived problem quality in the relationship between students' (N = 226) achievement goals and autonomous motivation to study in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Specifically, the relationships between students' achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and mastery-avoidance goals), problem quality-related characteristics (triggering interest, familiarity, stimulating collaborative learning, resulting in intended learning objectives, and promoting critical reasoning), and autonomous motivation to study were investigated. The findings indicate that the perceived quality of problems (i.e., familiarity, resulting in intended learning objectives, promoting critical reasoning, and by that triggering interest) fosters autonomous motivation to study and that the perception of this quality is influenced by students' achievement goals. Therefore, the quality of problems and students' achievement goals should be taken into account in a PBL environment.
Several major theories have been established in research on motivation in education to describe, ... more Several major theories have been established in research on motivation in education to describe, explain, and predict the direction, initiation, intensity, and persistence of learning behaviors. The most commonly cited theories of academic motivation include expectancy-value theory, social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, interest theory, achievement goal theory, and attribution theory. To gain a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences among these prominent theories, we present an integrative framework based on an action model (Heckhausen & Heckhausen, 2018). The basic model is deliberately parsimonious, consisting of six stages of action: the situation, the self, the goal, the action, the outcome, and the consequences. Motivational constructs from each major theory are related to these determinants in the course of action, mainly revealing differences and to a lesser extent commonalities. In the integrative model, learning outcomes represent a typical i...
Several studies show that teaching quality is an important predictor of students’ academic achiev... more Several studies show that teaching quality is an important predictor of students’ academic achievement. However, less is known about factors that are important for teaching quality. In the present study, it was hypothesized that school population composition [i.e., students’ socioeconomic status (SES) and migration background], workload, and teachers’ utility values toward teaching would be important factors related to their teaching quality. The Dutch Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 was explored (N = 1,884, secondary school teachers and 116 school leaders) to test our hypotheses. Data gathering followed a two-step procedure. Firstly, 200 schools were randomly selected. Secondly, 20 teachers within each school were randomly selected. Multi-item scales operationalized teaching quality on teachers’ self-reported classroom management, cognitive activation, clarity of instruction, and positive student-teacher relationships. Multilevel analyses showed that teacher...
... These problems do not necessarily have one single solution and usually have multiple ways to ... more ... These problems do not necessarily have one single solution and usually have multiple ways to achieve a solution or understanding of its underlying mechanisms ( [Loyens et al., 2007] , [Mayer and Wittrock, 2006] and [Zimmerman and Campillo, 2003] ). ...
<p>Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional method, with roots in c... more <p>Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional method, with roots in constructivist theory of learning. Since its origin at McMaster University in Canada, PBL has been implemented in numerous programs across many domains and many educational levels worldwide. In PBL, small groups of 10–12 students learn in the context of meaningful problems that describe observable phenomena or events. The PBL process consists of three phases. The first is the initial discussion phase in which the problem at hand is discussed, based on prior knowledge. This initial phase leads to the formulation of learning issues (i.e., questions) that students will answer during the next phase, the self-study phase. Here, they independently select and study a variety of literature resources. During the third and final phase, the reporting phase, students share their findings with each other and critically evaluate the answers to the learning issues. A tutor guides the first and third phase of the process. PBL is based on principles from cognitive and educational psychology that have demonstrated their capacity to foster learning. More specifically, four principles are incorporated in the PBL process: (a) connection to prior knowledge, (b) collaborative learning among students, but also among teachers, (c) gradual development of autonomy, and (d) a focus on the application and transfer of knowledge. Research on the effects of PBL in terms of knowledge acquisition shows that students in traditional, direct instruction curricula tend to perform better on assessments of basic science knowledge. However, differences between PBL students and students in direct instruction classrooms on knowledge tests tend to diminish over time. There is, however, a lack of controlled experiments in this line of PBL research. Directions for future research should focus on combining the best of both direct and student-centered instruction, explore the possibilities of hybrid forms, and investigate how the alignment of scale and didactics of an instructional method could be optimized.</p>
ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the importance of initial topic interest (i.e., expectation of ... more ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the importance of initial topic interest (i.e., expectation of interest) and tutors’ autonomy-supportive or controlling instructional styles for students’ motivation and performance in problem-based learning (PBL). In Study 1 (N = 93, a lab experiment), each student participated in a simulated group discussion in which tutor instructions were manipulated to be autonomy supportive, internally controlling, or externally controlling. Controlling tutor instructions led to higher controlled motivation, but autonomy-supportive instructions did not relate to students’ autonomous motivation and performance measures. Higher topic interest resulted in higher autonomous motivation and contributed indirectly to more self-study time and persistence. Self-study time was in turn associated with better test performance. A field study (N = 287, Study 2) supported the findings of Study 1. Tutor-provided autonomy support was unrelated to autonomous motivation, while a controlling instructional style led to higher controlled motivation and negatively affected performance. Again, topic interest positively influenced autonomous motivation and subsequent performance. Both studies demonstrate the importance of students’ initial topic interest for subsequent performance in PBL. Results also indicate that in PBL, tutor-provided autonomy support does not improve autonomous motivation and performance, whereas controlling tutoring can promote controlled motivation and hamper performance. Implications and further research opportunities are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
The cultivation of interest is an important aim of education. When encountering new information, ... more The cultivation of interest is an important aim of education. When encountering new information, the learners’ situational interest is an essential step in the interest development process. Situational interest represents the learner’s heightened attentional focus toward task characteristics (triggered interest) and elevated positive feelings and values (maintained interest) toward the newly taught knowledge. A growth mindset, the belief that ability is malleable through effort and practice, has been shown to foster mastery goals, reduce perceived cognitive load, and improve learning performance, all of which are positive predictors of interest. The present randomized controlled experiment evaluated the effect of inducing a growth mindset on 10th graders’ (n = 138) situational interest in a novel physics topic on how sound travels. In comparison to the control group, the experimental group showed higher maintained interest on the feeling and value dimensions of situational interest,...
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