Abstract

The academic lives of children are challenging and complex. In line with the mission of schooling, children are expected to engage in academic activities, learn from instruction, and meet standards of intellectual competency established by others. Children also are expected to adhere to classroom rules, maintain and establish new relationships with classmates and adults, and participate in activities as members of their school community. Central to understanding children’s success at these activities is motivation, typically defined as a set of interrelated desires, goals, needs, values, and emotions that explain the initiation, direction, intensity, persistence, and quality of behavior.