Can current theories of motivation inform practice in educational contexts?

Seminar series sponsored by the British Psychological Society

A series of three seminars sponsored by the British Psychological Society will explore the extent to which theories of motivation are able to offer adequate guidance to educational practitioners.

The seminars will be held in Cambridge. Lancaster and Durham between May and December 2009 with the first taking place in Cambridge on May 8th.

The programme is organised by Richard Remedios and Ros McLellan, who will lead the first seminar at Cambridge, Julian Elliott who will lead the third in Durham and Colin Rogers who (together with Don Passey) will lead the middle session in Lancaster.

Seminar 1 - Richard Remedios, Ros McLellan and Andy Elliot

University of Cambridge

The first of these, to be based in Cambridge, will focus upon a critical appraisal of current theories of motivation and the methodologies that are associated wiith the empirical work concerning these theories.  This seminar will be led with an initial presentation by Andy Elliot, a leading motivational theorist, and resultant discussions will focus upon motivational goal theory and self determination theory. Andy Elliot, normally based at the University of Rochester, USA, is one the leading motivation theorists and has played a major role in developing current theoretical positions.

The first seminar in the series, at Cambridge, is now fully subscribed.  Registered attendees will be asked to inform us in the event of their being unable to attend. We are maintaining a reserve list of possible attendees who will be invited to take the place of any cancellations when and if these arise. The reserve list will operate on a simple first entered - first offered basis. Should you wish to participate in the Cambridge Seminar but have not yet registered please contact Ros McClellan who will add you to the reserve list and, if the opportunity arises, will let you know when a place becomes available.

We wish to ensure that the seminar, as with the others in the series, is fully participative and we are therefore restricting attendance. Please, therefore, do not simply turn up on the day if you do not have a registered place.

Further information and registration details

Seminar 2 - Colin Rogers and Don Passey

Lancaster University

The second and third seminars will each focus upon particular applications of the theories explored in the first. The first of these will be concerned with the potential for the use of information and communication technology within schools to have a positive effect upon the development of adaptive and effective forms of motivation. We are keen to attract as participants people with relevant expertise and interest in motivational theory together with those with equivalent expertise and interest in the use of ICT within schools. This seminar will be based at Lancaster.

Date for Lancaster Wednesday 16th September 2009

Further information and registration details for Lancaster

Seminar 3 - Julian Elliott and Susan Nolen

Durham University

The third seminar will be concerned with an examination of the potential contribution to be made by motivation theory in considering the nature of psychological, as compared to sociological explanations of the nature of disaffection with and disengagement from schooling. Explanations of disaffection regularly make reference to a range of sociocultural factors (e.g. social class, ethnicity, gender, parental employment experiences) as predictors of disaffection with school and likely withdrawal from the process of schooling. It is not clear that psychologically based motivation theories would be able to explain very adequately at present the processes that might be involved here. This seminar will be based in Durham where Julian Elliott will take a lead in drawing out implications, for example, of motivation theory for the work of educational psychologists attempting to work with the disaffected and the disengaged. We will also have Susan Nolen from University of Washington as a participant in this seminar.

Date for Durham  Wednesday 16th December 2009

Further information and registration details for Durham

Registration

Attendance is free at all seminars and light refreshments will be served. Places will need to be booked. Please see individual seminar pages for registration details.

Travel Support Applications

There are some, limited, funds available to provide some assistance with travel costs for research students and early career researchers. Please contact:

Dee Daglish
Department of Educational Research
County South
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YD

Tel: 01524 592679

E-mail: d.daglish@lancaster.ac.uk