ROLE OF COGNITIVELY STIMULATING HOME-ENVIRONMENT IN CHILDRENS ACADEMIC INTRINSIC MOTIVATION - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

The short- and long-term, and direct and indirect, relations between c ognitively stimulating home environment and academic intrinsic motivat ion were investigated in a longitudinal study from childhood through e arly adolescence. Structural equations modeling was used to test the h ypothesis that home environment positively predicts academic intrinsic motivation over this period. It was also hypothesized that home envir onmental processes would positively predict motivation controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). When children were age 8, home environmen t (comprising both direct observations and parent report) and SES were measured. Academic intrinsic motivation was assessed at ages 9, 10, a nd 13. Results supported the hypotheses, Home environment had statisti cally positive and significant, direct and indirect paths to academic intrinsic motivation from childhood through early adolescence, indicat ing both short- and long-term effects across these ages. Moreover, hom e environment was significant above and beyond SES. The findings revea led that children whose homes had a greater emphasis on learning oppor tunities and activities were more academically intrinsically motivated .