“Learning is not always fun, but it is fine” Effects of Rationale Generation on Autonomous Motivation and Learning in Uninteresting but Required Academic Activities
This
dissertation aimed to study the effects of rationale generation on college
students’ autonomous motivation. Specific research questions were: (1) to
investigate the relations among rationale generation, motivation, and learning
through the lens of SDT; (2) to examine the causal effects of rationale
generation on autonomous motivation and learning performance; and (3) to
understand students’ perceptions of successful motivation strategies during
uninteresting but required academic activity. An explanatory sequential mixed method
design was used to answer these questions.