Date of Award

Summer 8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

STEM Education & Professional Studies

Program/Concentration

Educational Psychology

Committee Director

Tony C. Perez

Committee Member

Linda Bol

Committee Member

Joanna Garner

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of inserting a motivation intervention into a self-regulated learning training in an introductory biology course to increase academic performance and persistence to degree completion in science. The study was an experimental design with pre- and post-tests, with treatment and comparison groups. The training was in the form of three self-regulated learning cycles presented to students on a Blackboard Organization site where students were asked to record self-regulated learning activities in a journal during training. The primary aim of the intervention was to increase engagement in the self-regulated learning training by embedding a utility value intervention into the beginning of the training. Brief pre and post surveys were used to measure students’ perceptions of their academic self-regulation, utility value for the training, academic self-efficacy in the course, as well as their intentions to persist in science. Exam grades were collected to examine academic performance. Multiple regression, negative binomial regression, and zero-inflated binomial regression were used to determine whether the motivation intervention affected the academic outcomes. Path analysis was used to examine the mediating role of utility value in the relationships between the training and engagement in self-regulated learning behaviors. Further, the role of self-regulated learning behaviors in academic achievement and persistence intentions were examined. Results indicated that the motivation treatment was not effective in increasing utility value for self-regulated learning across dependent variables. However, utility value for self-regulated learning had a direct effect on self-regulated learning engagement, self-efficacy for biology, and academic achievement. Self-reported cognitive and behavioral engagement had a mediating effect on students’ self-efficacy. However, only behavioral engagement had a mediating effect on academic achievement. In contrast, neither utility value for self-regulated learning nor any of the measures of self-regulated learning engagement mediated students’ intentions to persist in science.

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DOI

10.25777/aa05-ph12

ISBN

9798293844012

ORCID

0000-0001-5214-5103

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