Exploring First Graders’ Learning Motivation in Different Educational Environments

Abstract

We present results of our study, the purpose of which was to find out the connection between the sociocultural components of the school educational environment and the first-graders' learning motivation. Our hypothesis is that the first-graders' learning motivation in a school with a communication-oriented model of the educational environment differs from that of first-graders in schools without communicative orientation. Using the techniques ‘Me at school’, ‘Six stories’ and ‘Let’s talk about school’ we surveyed 180 first-graders at two elementary Moscow schools: 126 children at school with a communicate-oriented model of the educational environment and 54 children at school without such orientation. The results revealed differences in the first-graders' learning motivation at schools with different models of the educational environment. The majority of the first graders at the school with a communicative-oriented model had pronounced social and learning motives and showed high levels of learning motivation. As for the school without communicative orientation, about a half of the first graders displayed motives of high achievements (to occupy a high status position in the future and get high marks) and had an average level of learning motivation.