Beliefs and Actions of University Lecturers of Sports Sciences and Physical Activity Regarding Students’ Learning Motivation

This article presents a study on the perceptions of university professors of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences about the causes of lack of learning motivation of students with and without disabilities and the actions they take to motivate them. 16 semi-structured interviews were analyzed in an inductive manner. The results suggest that university teachers value students, enable positive learning environments, and address the interests and needs of all students through inclusive curricular practices.

Creating Positive Learning Environments in Early Childhood Using Teacher-Generated Prosocial Lessons

A primary motivation for people to behave as they do is the need to belong socially to a group and to have relevance. A positive learning environment for young students is created when students are recognized and accepted by their peers and their teachers, and studies reveal that in such environments, students perform better academically and tend to have fewer behavioral issues. These environments may also act as a buffer against school dropout rates. This study examined whether teaching prosocial lessons to first-grade students in the southeastern United States would create positive learning environments for children who otherwise may not be recognized and accepted by their peers and also examined the relationship of teacher evaluations of observable classroom behaviors by their students with student recognition by peers. This study confirms the relevance of prosocial lessons in the creation of positive learning environments for young students.

The Gender Gap in STEM Fields: Theories, Movements, and Ideas to Engage Girls in STEM

The 2010 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology indicated that there was a need to provide individuals with strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) backgrounds in order to be a competitive country internationally. Additionally, it has been found that there is a gender gap in STEM related fields. Therefore, this article describes theories related to the gender gap in the STEM field and ways to engage girls in STEM related fields in order to close the gender gap. The researchers of this study did extensive research to review the current literature, condense and summarize the findings from various studies, and provide steps for educators to engage in that will create an early atmosphere of positive learning environments for girls to be curious about STEM concepts.