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Motivation Research Institute
Mission Statement: To facilitate and support collaborations
among faculty and students on the study of motivation.
Background: In the Spring of 2001, Dr. Kenn Barron, Dr.
Donna Sundre, and a small group of graduate students in
the Assessment and Measurement PhD program started a weekly
research group on student motivation. Over the past four
years, our meetings have grown substantially in faculty/student
membership and have become a permanent fixture at the Center
for Assessment and Research Studies.
We are guided by the following objectives:
- To provide research training and research opportunities
for faculty and students
- To advance the study of motivation theory
- To advance the use of statistical and measurement techniques
in motivational research
- To evaluate existing measurement tools and develop
new measurement tools related to the study of
motivation
- To advance the application of motivation theory
(e.g., to improve university learning environments,
to improve
assessment of student motivation and development)
- To communicate findings through multiple outlets
(e.g., conference presentations, theory journals,
measurement
journals, university reports, higher education
journals)
Our core faculty include Dr. Kenn Barron, Dr. Sara Finney,
Dr. Dena Pastor, and Dr. Donna Sundre. In addition, we
have had the benefit of having other faculty collaborate
and join our group (e.g., Dr. Steve Evans, Dr. Gregg Henriques,
Dr. Steve Wise, and Dr. Vicki Wise). We also have 5-10
students working with us during any given semester from
the Assessment and Measurement PhD program, the Psychological
Sciences Masters program, and from the Undergraduate Psychology
program.
In the Spring of 2005, we formalized our group into The
Motivation Research Institute. Our goal for formalizing
into a recognized institute on campus was to build upon
our above objectives and to add the following:
- To create a website summarizing on-going activities, publications/presentations,
developed instruments
- To create a formal organization for current students
to identify with, as well as for former students
to remain
affiliated with after leaving the program
- To create a formal organization to help solicit outside
funding and research opportunities
- To create a formal organization to advertise resources/services
to the outside community
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