Assessing Motivation and Utilizing Motivational Interviewing in Introductory College Biology for Improved Student Success

Student motivation, metacognition and engagement are strong predictors of academic success in the undergraduate biology classroom. Implementation of diverse active learning strategies results in increased student engagement and improved student performance. Instructors direct students on behaviors aimed to promote self-reflection and self-efficacy towards academic success yet see varying follow-through from students. This research study assesses motivation in students in two separate but parallel, introductory biology courses required for majors. Students in one course, with traditionally high attrition and serving students from diverse majors, will be compared to a second with low historical attrition and serving a single pre-professional program at a single upper Midwestern HSI. Students in both courses will be evaluated with the Academic Motivation Scale for self-perception of motivation and portions of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory for evaluation of autonomy, perceived competency, and value/usefulness regarding biology. These measures will be reassessed midterm and correlated to midterm course grades as well as final course grades and attrition when the semester is completed. A planned intervention in the high attrition rate course involves Motivational Interviewing with those biology students within the semester. The MI intervention will be overlaid onto already established active learning and metacognition pedagogies