Methodologies and Measurement

  • Fulmer, S. M. & Frijters, J. C. (2009). A review of self-report and alternative approaches in the measurement of student motivation. Educational Psychology Review, 21(3), 219-246.
  • (Sara Fulmer's info at Notre Dame: http://psychology.nd.edu/people/graduate-students/fulmer-sara.shtml)
  • Published online: 20 August 2009
    • Abstract Within psychological and educational research, self-report methodology dominates the study of student motivation. The present review argues that the scope of motivation research can be expanded by incorporating a wider range of methodologies and measurement tools. Several authors have suggested that current study of motivation is overly reliant on self-report measures, warranting a move toward alternative approaches. This review critiques self-report methodology as a basis for examining alternative conceptualizations of motivation (e.g., phenomenological, neuropsychological/physiological, and behavioral) and related measurement tools. Future directions in motivational methodology are addressed, including attempts at integration or combination of these approaches and a preliminary functional framework for the development of novel, multidimensional approaches to the study of motivation. Keywords Motivation - Measurement - Children - Review - Adolescents