The Interplay of Motivational Goals and Cognitive Strategies in a New Pedagogical Culture

Abstract

This article describes the results of an analysis of three years' process-oriented interview data concerning secondary school students' goals and learning strategies in computer-supported collaborative inquiries. Specifically, the changes in students' goal interpretations and the situational dynamics of students' goals and strategies were investigated over 3 years. By examining how these secondary school students (N = 18, from ages 13-15 years) interpret and explain different situations in a new instructional setting, we were able to determine their subjective and context-specific explanations of the situation. The interview data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis, and nonparametric statistics were then used to authenticate some of the qualitative findings. The data show how the students' explanations and interpretations of their goals and strategies vary during different years of the study. It can be concluded that the students seem to develop both individual and contextual goals, as well as strategies, to self-regulate in the new pedagogical culture.