UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATION AND SCHOOLING - WHERE WEVE BEEN, WHERE WE ARE, AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO

This paper presents an interpretive summary of the progress that has b een made in the study of motivation, especially as this work relates t o the area of education. Motivation research has ''come of age'' with theoretical frameworks rooted in an established body of findings, and with the development of core methodologies for pursuing further knowle dge. It has begun to provide a firm base for guiding educational pract ice. Current work is clearly in accord with mainstream psychology in t hat cognitive models of motivation are the predominant guides for rese arch. Future work is likely to focus increasingly on how the meaning c onstruction process affects engagement in tasks. Researchers should co nsider a wider array of research procedures and give greater attention to understanding motivation as it occurs in natural settings, especia lly as educational interventions are attempted. A serious deficiency i n the motivation literature is that relatively little attention has be en given to differences related to sociocultural backgrounds.