2021 Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education Reports
2021
N/A
Low Engagement Explained by the Satisfaction/Frustration of the Basic Psychological Needs: The CaseofUma
Page: 332
Student engagement is one of the most robust predictors of student achievement and behavior (Klem & Connell, 2004). Therefore, a larger study was conducted to investigate undergraduate students’ engagement while learning mathematics. A pre-service mathematics teacher, Uma, reported drastically lower levels of engagement in the larger study. Given that the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness facilitates the internalization of motivation and, consequently, students’ engagement (Ryan & Deci, 2009), a case study was conducted to examine Uma’s low engagement through the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) in a 5-week teaching experiment focused on developing notions of logarithmic change. Nine themes emerged from the analyses of the videos and an interview, which explain the low levels of engagement through the BPNT. The case of Uma provides rich information about how the satisfaction/frustration of the BPNs is related to engagement levels.