Meanings and Motivation in Education Research demonstrates the vibrant and vital connection between the researcher and their research. Research is often perceived as an entity which is seemingly produced in isolation; however, there are many important factors which are involved, and this book explores the complexities of investigating the specific areas of meaning and motivation for researchers working in the education sector. With contributions from authors drawn from the field of education in various stages of their career, the perspectives shared in this book are from a diverse range of countries including Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Key topics include: personal and professional identity narrative inquiry as method teacher educators as researchers conducting education research mixed methods in educational research Foregrounding the personal experiences, interests and motivations of educational researchers Meanings and Motivation in Education Research proves important insights into current discussions in educational research including researchers’ identities, the ways they conduct research and most importantly the impact institutional and personal politics have on their work. This will be a valuable text for educators, education researchers, policy-makers and practitioners across the globe.

There are many reasons to be curious about the way people learn, and the past several decades have seen an explosion of research that has important implications for individual learning, schooling, workforce training, and policy. In 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition was published and its influence has been wide and deep. The report summarized insights on the nature of learning in school-aged children; described principles for the design of effective learning environments; and provided examples of how that could be implemented in the classroom. Since then, researchers have continued to investigate the nature of learning and have generated new findings related to the neurological processes involved in learning, individual and cultural variability related to learning, and educational technologies. In addition to expanding scientific understanding of the mechanisms of learning and how the brain adapts throughout the lifespan, there have been important discoveries about influences on learning, particularly sociocultural factors and the structure of learning environments. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures provides a much-needed update incorporating insights gained from this research over the past decade. The book expands on the foundation laid out in the 2000 report and takes an in-depth look at the constellation of influences that affect individual learning. How People Learn II will become an indispensable resource to understand learning throughout the lifespan for educators of students and adults.

This work explores and explicates learner motivation in online learning environments. More specifically, it uses a case-study approach to examine undergraduate students’ motivation within two formal and separate online learning contexts. In doing so, it recognizes the mutually constitutive relationship of the learner and the learning environment in relation to motivation. This is distinctive from other approaches that tend to focus on designing and creating motivating environments or, alternatively, concentrate on motivation as a stable learner characteristic. In particular, this book identifies a range of factors that can support or undermine learner motivation and discusses each in detail. By unraveling the complexity of learner motivation in such environments, it provides useful guidelines for teachers, instructional designers and academic advisors tasked with building and teaching within online educational contexts.

The bestselling guide for teaching wellbeing and positive mental health in primary schools, packed with practical ideas for every classroom. Evidence has shown that happy people (those who experience more positive emotions) perform better in school, enjoy healthier relationships, are generally more successful and even live longer! It is an ever-growing concern, therefore, that children's levels of happiness and wellbeing are decreasing, while their levels of stress, anxiety and depression are increasing. As a result, many schools and teachers are looking for accessible ways to address these mental health problems in young people. In this must-read book, experienced teacher and advisor on children's wellbeing, Adrian Bethune, takes the latest evidence and research from the science of happiness and positive psychology and brings them to life. Wellbeing in the Primary Classroom is packed full of tried-and-tested activities and techniques, including mindfulness, positive reflection, physical activity and acts of kindness. With a foreword by Sir Anthony Seldon, former Master of Wellington College, well known for introducing and advocating happiness and wellbeing in education, it is an essential guide for supporting emotional and mental wellbeing in the primary classroom.

Written by leading researchers in educational and social psychology, learning science, and neuroscience, this edited volume is suitable for a wide-academic readership. It gives definitions of key terms related to motivation and learning alongside developed explanations of significant findings in the field. It also presents cohesive descriptions concerning how motivation relates to learning, and produces a novel and insightful combination of issues and findings from studies of motivation and/or learning across the authors' collective range of scientific fields. The authors provide a variety of perspectives on motivational constructs and their measurement, which can be used by multiple and distinct scientific communities, both basic and applied.

"Innovations and Challenges in Language Learning Motivation provides a cutting-edge perspective on the latest challenges and innovations in language learning motivation, incorporating numerous examples and cases in mainstream psychology and in the field of second language acquisition. Drawing on over three decades of research experience as well as an extensive review of the latest psychological and SLA literature, Dèornyei provides an accessible overview of these cutting-edge areas and covers novel topics that have not yet been addressed in L2 motivation research, such as: fundamental theoretical questions such as mental time travel, ego depletion, psychological momentum and passion, and how the temporal dimension of motivation can be made consistent with a learner attribute; key challenges concerning the notion of L2 motivation, ranging from issues about the nature of motivation (e.g. trait, state or a process?) and questions surrounding unconscious versus conscious motivation, the motivational capacity of vision, and long-term motivation and persistence; highly practical classroom-specific challenges such as how technological advances could be better integrated in teachers' repertoires of motivational strategies. This distinctive book from one of the key voices in the field will be essential reading for students in the field of TESOL and Applied Linguistics, as well as language teachers and teacher educators"--

This edited book examines some of the current inquiry related to the study of emotions in educational contexts. There has been a notable increased interest in educational research on emotions. Emotion in Education represents some of the most exciting and current research on emotions and education, and has the potential to impact research in this area. This combination of variety, timeliness, potential for transformation of the field, and uniqueness make this a "must-have" resource for academics in the fields of education, educational psychology, emotion psychology, cultural psychology, sociology, and teacher education. The chapters have been written for scholars in the area, but authors also wrote with graduate students in mind. Therefore, the book is also be a great volume for graduate seminars. - Provides in-depth examination of emotions in educational contexts - Includes international roster of contributors who represent a variety of disciplines - Represents a number of different research approaches

"This book provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings on game-based learning to help readers who want to improve their understanding of the important roles and applications of educational games in terms of teaching strategies, instructional design, educational psychology and game design"--Provided by publisher.

A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

"The approaches outlined in this volume will help expand the narrow focus on academic success to include psychological well-being for students and educators alike. It is a must-read for anyone interested in how positive outcomes such as life satisfaction, positive emotion, and meaning and purpose can be optimized in the educational settings." -- Judith Moskowitz, PhD MPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, IPPA President 2019-2021 This open access handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the growing field of positive education, featuring a broad range of theoretical, applied, and practice-focused chapters from leading international experts. It demonstrates how positive education offers an approach to understanding learning that blends academic study with life skills such as self-awareness, emotion regulation, healthy mindsets, mindfulness, and positive habits, grounded in the science of wellbeing, to promote character development, optimal functioning, engagement in learning, and resilience. The handbook offers an in-depth understanding and critical consideration of the relevance of positive psychology to education, which encompasses its theoretical foundations, the empirical findings, and the existing educational applications and interventions. The contributors situate wellbeing science within the broader framework of education, considering its implications for teacher training, education and developmental psychology, school administration, policy making, pedagogy, and curriculum studies. This landmark collection will appeal to researchers and practitioners working in positive psychology, educational and school psychology, developmental psychology, education, counselling, social work, and public policy. Margaret (Peggy) L. Kern is Associate Professor at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, Australia. Dr Kern is Founding Chair of the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). You can find out more about Dr Kern's work at www.peggykern.org. Michael L. Wehmeyer is Ross and Mariana Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education; Chair of the Department of Special Education; and Director and Senior Scientist, Beach Center on Disability, at the University of Kansas, United States. Dr Wehmeyer is Publications Lead for the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and is an author or editor of 42 texts. .