Chapter 3: A Comparison Of Motivational And Critical Thinking Orientations Across Ethnic Groups

Two of the fundamental aims of education are to motivate students to learn and to help students develop the skills and proclivities needed for engaging in critical thinking. Because these are such widely shared goals among educators and educational researchers, there is a considerable amount of research that has been conducted in both the motivation and critical thinking areas. Much of the research examining student motivation—and ways to enhance it—has suggested that when students are optimally motivated in school, they are more willing to engage in the types of behaviors generally considered to represent critical thinking. For example, intrinsically or mastery-goal motivated students are generally more likely to attempt challenging tasks, to apply deep cognitive strategies, and to persist at challenging tasks (e.g., Ames, 1992; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Dweck & Leggett, 1988; Graham & Golan, 1991). Similarly, proponents of efforts to increase the focus on critical thinking in schools and researchers who examine critical thinking tendencies among students suggest that tasks and situations that require critical thinking generate enthusiasm and interest among students (Costa & Lowery, 1989; Sternberg, 1996).