In this chapter we focus on teachers' beliefs about student learning and motivation and their manifestation in classroom instruction. Teachers' beliefs appear to reflect longstanding attitudes, “common sense,” and their experiences in education rather than research-based knowledge about learning and motivation. Because teachers' beliefs play a significant role in shaping their instructional behaviors, and thus what students learn, it is important to examine their characteristics, their content, and their expression. Specifically, we address three questions about teachers' beliefs and student learning and motivation: (a) What are beliefs and how do they develop? (b) What beliefs do teachers appear to hold about student learning and motivation? and (c) How do teachers' beliefs and instruction change? We illustrate some of these relationships with examples from our research on motivation and learning in mathematics classrooms. Therefore, we have chosen to focus mostly on practicing, as opposed to preservice, teachers. We conclude the chapter by emphasizing the importance of investigating the contexts of teacher beliefs, which are essential for understanding how beliefs develop, the congruencies between beliefs and practice, and the arduous process of belief change.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anning, A. (1988). Teachers' theories about children's learning. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Teachers' professional learning (pp. 128–145). London: Falmer Press.
Bromme, R. (1987). Teachers' assessment of students' difficulties and progress in understanding in the classroom. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers' thinking (pp. 125–146). London: Cassell.
Brophy, J. (1983). Research on the self-fulfilling prophecy and teacher expectations. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 631–661.
Brophy, J. (Ed.). (1998). Advances in research on teaching (Vol. 7). Expectations in the classroom. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Brophy, J., & Good, T. L. (1970). Teachers' communication of differential expectations for children's classroom performance: Some behavioral data. Journal of Educational Psychology, 61, 365–374.
Calderhead, J. (1996). Teachers: Beliefs and knowledge. In D. Berliner & R. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of Educational Psychology (pp. 709–725). New York: Macmillan Library Reference.
Cohen, D. (1990). A revolution in one classroom: The case of Mrs. Oublier. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 12, 327–345.
Donohue, K. M., Perry, K. E., & Weinstein, R. S. (2003). Classroom instructional practices and children's rejection by their peers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 91–118.
Eisenhart, M., Shrum, J., Harding, J., & Cuthbert, A. (1988). Teacher beliefs: Definitions, findings, and directions. Educational Policy, 2, 51–70.
Fischler, H. (1994). Concerning the difference between intention and action: Teachers' conceptions and actions in physics teaching. In I. Carlgren, G. Handal, & S. Vaage (Eds.), Teachers' minds and action: Research on teachers' thinking and practice (pp. 165–180). London: Falmer Press.
Floden, R. (1996). What teachers need to know about learning. In M. Kennedy (Ed.), Teaching academic subjects to diverse learners (pp. 181–202). New York: Teachers College Press.
Furinghetti, F., & Pehkonen, E. (2002). Rethinking characterizations of beliefs. In G. Leder, E. Pehkonen, & G. Törner (Eds.), Beliefs: A hidden variable in mathematics education (pp. 39–57). Amsterdam: Kluwer.
Gallimore, R., & Tharp, R. (1990). Teaching mind in society: Teaching, schooling and literate discourse. In L. Moll (Ed.), Vygotsky and education (pp.175–205). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Good, T. L. (1987). Two decades of research on teacher expectations: Findings and future directions. Journal of Teacher Education, 38, 32–47.
Green, T. F. (1971). The activities of teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gregoire, M. (2003). Is it a challenge or a threat? A dual-process model of teachers' cognition and appraisal processes during conceptual change. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 147–179.
Gregory, A. (2004). Towards narrowing the discipline gap: Cooperation or defiance in the high school classroom. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of California, Berkeley.
Guskey, T. (1986). Staff development and the process of teacher change. Educational Researcher, 15, 5–12.
Ingram, D., Louis, K. S., & Schroeder, R. G. (2004). Accountability policies and teacher decision making: Barriers to the use of data to improve practice. Teachers College Record, 106, 1258–1287.
Kennedy, M. (1999). A test of some common contentions about educational research. American Educational Research Journal, 36, 511–541.
Kuklinski, M. R., & Weinstein, R. S. (2001). Classroom and developmental differences in a path model of teacher expectancy effects. Child Development, 72, 1554–1578.
Levitt, K. (2001). An analysis of elementary teachers' beliefs regarding the teaching and learning of science. Science Education, 86, 1–22.
Merton, R. K. (1948). The self-fulfilling prophecy. Antioch Review, 8, 193–210.
Nuthall, G. (2004). Relating classroom teaching to student learning: A critical analysis of why research has failed to bridge the theory-practice gap. Harvard Educational Review, 74, 273–306.
Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers' beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62, 307–332.
Plaut, V. C., & Markus, H. R. (2005). The “inside” story: A cultural-historical analysis of being smart and motivated, American style. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 457–488). New York: Guilford Press.
Prawat, R. (1992). Teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning: A constructivist perspective. American Journal of Education, 100, 354–395.
Putnam, R. (1987). Structuring and adjusting content for students: A study of live and simulated tutoring of addition. American Educational Research Journal, 24, 13–48.
Richardson, V. (1990). Significant and worthwhile change in teaching practice. Educational Researcher, 19, 10–18.
Thompson, A. (1992). Teachers' beliefs and conceptions: A synthesis of the research. In D. Grouws (Ed.), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 127–146). New York: Macmillan.
Turner, J., & Christensen, A. (2007). Collaborating with teachers to foster student motivation: Implementing motivational strategies in mathematics instruction. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago.
Turner, J. C., & Meyer, D. K. (2000). Study and understanding the instructional contexts of classrooms: Using our past to forge our future. Educational Psychologist, 35, 69–85.
Turner, J. C., Warzon, K. B. & Christensen, A. (2008). Changes in Teachers' Views and Practices of Motivation and Mathematics: Report of a Nine-Month Collaboration. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York.
Turner, J. C., Midgley, C., Meyer, D. K., Gheen, M., Anderman, E. A., Kang, J., et al. (2002). The classroom environment and students' reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multi-method study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 88–106.
Weinstein, R. S. (2002). Reaching higher: The power of expectations in schooling. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Weinstein, R. S., Gregory, A., & Strambler, M. (2004). Intractable self-fulfilling prophecies: Fifty Years after Brown v. Board of Education. American Psychologist, 59, 511–520.
Weinstein, R. S., & Middlestadt, S. E. (1979). Student perceptions of teacher interactions with male high and low achievers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 421–431.
Windshitl, M. (2002). Framing constructivism in practice as the negotiation of dilemmas: An analysis of the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political challenges facing teachers. Review of Educational Research, 72, 131–175.
Yinger, R. (1980). A study of teacher planning. Elementary School Journal, 80, 107–127.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, J.C., Christensen, A., Meyer, D.K. (2009). Teachers' Beliefs about Student Learning and Motivation. In: Saha, L.J., Dworkin, A.G. (eds) International Handbook of Research on Teachers and Teaching. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 21. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73317-3_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73317-3_23
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-73316-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-73317-3
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)