Essay 10.6 Motivation in the Wild: Capturing the Complex Social Ecologies of Academic Motivation

Among the many factors that shape academic motivation and engagement, the interpersonal relationships that students share with their parents, teachers, and peers are central. The contributions of each of these social partners have been clearly documented, but they tend to be studied separately. The growing view is that students are operating within a changing multilevel social world in which peer, teacher, and parent relationships work together to create a complex social ecology. Over the next 10 years, such a paradigm shift to highlight relationships would enrich the study of motivational development and guide interventions designed to foster social systems that better support student motivation and development.