A Study of Intrinsic Motivation in the Mathematics Classroom: A Personal Constructs Approach

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between teachers' and students' personal constructs with regard to intrinsic motivation in the mathematics classroom. The research focused on (a) the ways in which teachers attempted to build student motivation into their lessons and (b) the belief systems of teachers as compared to those of their students. In a repertory grid task, students and teachers were asked to distinguish what they believed makes mathematics motivating.