Factors That Influence Continuing Motivation

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Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the effects of teacher comments, type of task, student performance, and subject gender on continuing motivation. The 424 fifth- and sixth-grade students completed an initial task, received no comment, a performance-contingent positive, or encouraging comment on their papers, then chose between two activities as their second task. Return to the task that was similar to the initial one was the measure of continuing motivation. Analyses of experimental and questionnaire data revealed that students' performance on the initial task and their perceptions of their performance were most closely related to return to task. Comments did not have a significant main effect, though the combination of comments and an easier task appeared to be more effective in motivating girls to return to the same task. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between continuing motivation and student perceptions of their own competence.

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