"This randomized field experiment examined the effectiveness of a multifaceted, multilevel motivation intervention in a large, introductory engineering course for undergraduates. At the level of the individual, students (n = 682) were randomly assigned to complete a variety of intervention or control activities, including interventions designed to promote feelings of belonging, incremental theories of intelligence (the belief that abilities can grow with effort), and utility value (relevance or usefulness) for engineering coursework. Course instructors (n = 8) were randomly assigned to learn about strategies for supporting students' motivation in the treatment condition or to learn about knowledge development in an active control condition. The study employed a 2 (TA training vs. control) x 2 (student-level utility value vs. control) x 3 (student-level incremental, belonging, or control) design to examine the main and interactive effects of the single and combined interventions. Random assignment resulted in individual students participating in up to three intervention conditions, or in up to three control conditions. Outcome measures included proximal outcomes assessed at the end of the semester (motivation and course grades) and distal measures of engineering identity, engineering major retention, and GPA assessed at the end of the following semester. Interactions with prior achievement were also examined to determine whether the intervention effects were stronger for low-achieving students. Overall, there were no statistically significant effects of interventions on the outcome measures, compared to control conditions, and no significant moderating effects based on prior achievement. Furthermore, fidelity and manipulation checks suggested that while the utility value intervention was successfully implemented, non-significant effects of the interventions may have been attributable to implementation limitations and existing motivational supports within the course. However, results point to the feasibility of multifaceted motivation interventions, which can be co-designed with teachers to leverage the complex, dynamic nature of motivation as it occurs with individuals and contexts."--Pages ii-iii.
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