Toward a model of the value aspects of motivation in education: Developingappreciation for particular learning domains and activities

Currently well-developed lines of theory and research on motivation in educ ation focus on its expectancy aspects, especially as they apply in achievem ent situations that call for striving to attain specific goals. This articl e considers concepts and principles that might be included in a model that addresses the value/interest/appreciation aspects of motivated learning, in cluding learning in exploratory situations that do not require focused achi evement striving. Featured concepts and principles include an optimal match between the learning opportunity and the learner's prior knowledge and exp eriences, learner identification with or perception of self-relevance of th e learning domain, curricular choices that feature content and activities t hat lie within both the cognitive and the motivational zones of proximal de velopment, and teacher scaffolding of learners' exposure to the domain in w ays that build motivational schemas that enable learners to appreciate the domain's value and experience its satisfactions.