Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications (3rd Edition)

The primary objectives of Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Application, third edition, are:

• to present major motivational theories, principles, and research findings in sufficient detail to help students understand the complexity of motivational processes and to
• provide examples of motivational concepts and principles applied to educational settings

Although different perspectives on motivation are presented, the text emphasizes the role of personal cognitions and beliefs during teaching and learning.  This focus is consistent with the view that learners are active, constructive participants in the learning process; consequently, the text highlights how motivation is situated, facilitated, and constrained by various classroom and contextual factors.

Following an introductory chapter that defines and exemplifies motivation and discusses motivation research, how motivation relates to learning, and historical views of motivation, the next six chapters discuss theoretical and conceptual perspectives that stress the role of personal cognitions, beliefs, affects and values in motivation: expectancy-value theory, attribution theory, social cognitive theory, goal theory, interest and affect, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The remaining three chapters focus on various contextual factors in promoting motivation: sociocultural influences, teacher influences, and classroom and school influences. By blending theory, research, and applications throughout, the text provides instructors and students with a unified view of the role of motivation in education.

Paul R. Pintrich is Professor of Education and Psychology and Chair of the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also has served as the Associate Dean for Research for the School of Education at Michigan. He has a B.A. in psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and an M.A. in developmental psychology, and a Ph.D. in education and psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research focuses on the development of motivation and self-regulated learning in adolescence and how the classroom context shapes the trajectory of motivation and self-regulation development.

Paul has published over 100 articles and chapters and is co-author or co-editor of eight books, including the Advances in Motivation and Achievement series. He also has served as editor of Educational Psychologist, the American Psychological Association journal for Division 15Educational Psychology. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the Department of Education, the Spencer Foundation, and the Kellogg Foundation.

Paul has served as President of Division 15-Educational Psychology for the American Psychological Association and is currently President-Elect of Division 5-Educational and Instructional Psychology for the International Association of Applied Psychology. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and has been a National Academy of Education Spencer Fellow. He won the 1999 Best Research Review Article Award from the American Educational Research Association. He also has won the Class of 1923 Award from the College of Literature, Science, and Arts and the School of Education at the University of Michigan for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

Dale H. Schunk is Dean of the School of Education and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Stanford University, an M.Ed. from Boston University, and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana. He has held faculty positions at Purdue University (where he served as Head of the Department of Educational Studies), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where he also was Chair of the Academic Affairs Institutional Review Board), and the University of Houston.

Dale has edited six books, is author of Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (Prentice Hall, 2000) and over 80 articles and book chapters. He has served as President of Division 15-Educational Psychology for the American Psychological Association and as Secretary of Division C-Learning and Instruction for the American Educational Research Association. He is presently a member of the editorial boards of three professional journals.

Dale's teaching and research interests include learning, motivation, and self-regulation. He has received the Early Career Contributions Award in Educational Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the Albert J. Harris Research Award from the International Reading Association, and the Outstanding Service Award from the Purdue University School of Education.