Running Head: CASE STUDY

Case Study
Sheena Strada
EDU 615: Motivational Theory and Classroom Management
University of New England

Case Study

2
Introduction

Jaron is a junior in high school enrolled in the full-day Forestry and Natural Resources
Program. He is from a low socioeconomic background and has been working after school and
weekend jobs for years. In addition to school and his multiple part-time jobs, Jaron also cares for
his younger sibling when school is not in session, which results in a lack of time for and
concentration on schoolwork in the evenings.
He relates best to grown men and his vocabulary, attitude, and presence indicate that he
has clearly been treated like one by his family for years. Jaron can spend hours diagnosing issues
with an engine, discussing maple sugaring techniques, or comparing and contrasting various
makes of construction equipment. His knowledge base in these areas appears to be quite deep.
Unfortunately for him, this knowledge has been of little to no use in previous courses in high
school. Since he can clearly see the divide between academia and the world he knows, and
because the adults he admires are not well educated but have managed to do well for themselves,
Jaron sees little importance in education.
His parents are not actively engaged in his schooling; they do not attend school events
such as open houses, showcase nights, or parent-teacher conferences. They are reachable by
phone, but as long as Jaron is earning a passing grade and not creating massive disruptions, there
is a clear lack of interest. The lack of support or encouragement from adults in his outside of
school life is an issue that must be overcome.
Jarons sending high school has a reputation of having a tough student body and sub-par
academics. He lacks foundational writing skills and has difficulty comprehending materials he
reads silently. Jarons in class behaviors appear designed to distract from these issues; he disrupts
class by interrupting the teacher, steering conversations in tangential ways related to topics of
which he is knowledgeable, and engaging in off-topic discussions with classmates. He rarely

Case Study

completes homework and appears to enjoy telling stories of engaging in similar behaviors in
previous English and social studies classes.
Jaron is an affable and interesting person. He appears to get along with his peers in the
Forestry and Natural Resources program, and while his behaviors occasionally land him in the
office of the Dean of Students, she agrees that he is a nice, smart kid who is still learning to
regulate his behaviors and language to fit formal settings such as the classroom.
Observations
Jaron begins the academic year avoiding work, interrupting class, and not protesting
when his classmates tease him for being unintelligent. He is knowledgeable about a number of
technical topics related to auto mechanics, engines, and maple sugaring and routinely engages in
side discussions related to these fields during class time. Jaron has difficulty with reading comprehension and writing; he does not demonstrate a strong grasp of the conventions of writing. It
is much easier for him to express himself verbally. He avoids homework and struggles to complete in-class work, often appearing to put in minimal effort.
Jaron engages in self-handicapping, a maladaptive avoidance behavior defined by Anderman and Anderman (2014) as a deliberate, proactive strategy that students use to influence others beliefs about their abilities (p. 197). When Jaron decides to prioritize socialization, work,
and other activities above his academic studies, he is creating a way to explain away any failures
he might encounter. This is especially visible during class time, when Jaron allows himself to be
distracted by his classmates or even initiates off-task behavior amongst his peer group. This behavior is more apparent in the first semester, but tapers off as Jaron and the teacher build a
stronger relationship and his level of comfort in the class increases.

Case Study

In addition to his self-handicapping behaviors, Jaron exhibits symptoms of low self-esteem and a lack of efficacy in language arts; attempts to redirect Jarons attention and help him
focus on the task at hand are taken as personal affronts, with Jaron going so far as to say to the
teacher, You hate me, don't you? It takes weeks of positive interactions to show him that is not
the case. Research has shown that students without intrinsic motivation and low levels of extrinsic motivation have poor relationships with their teachers (Birdsell, et al., 2009). Jarons stated
belief that the teacher dislikes him is a defense mechanism if redirections are personal slights, a
lack of success in the course is not his fault but can be explained by favoritism on the part of the
teacher.
This is an important issue to address, as students exhibit more positive attitudes about
their own intellects and capabilities, as well as a greater sense of control over their education,
when they have a strong relationship with their teacher and see that person as a caring adult (Anderman and Anderman, 2014). Sensitively handling Jarons insecurities and proving that I do
care about him as a person and as a student is a key component of helping him grow as a learner.
One way I am able to do this is by making inquiries about his life outside of school, the work he
mentions in conversation, and working to connect with him on a human level. Because he often
arrives early to class, there are opportunities most days to engage in conversation not related to
coursework.
Throughout the semester, efforts are made to differentiate the content of the course and
allow students additional choice regarding assignments. Birdsell, et al. (2009) found that providing students the opportunity to choose assignments and have input into types of assessments motivates learners to take ownership of their education and thus complete assignments with greater
regularity, feel empowered and capable of learning, and engage in fewer unwanted behaviors.

Case Study

This shift is made as an intentional decision to begin sharing decision-making and responsibility
with students, as recommended by Tomlinson (2001, p. 17).
This research is utilized in the development of a unit study based on Eaarth by Bill McKibben. This text on climate change is dense and difficult to comprehend, so students are provided
with opportunities to choose supplemental readings to help them understand the material. Jaron
appears to enjoy reading and discussing articles on the impact of climate change on the maple
sugaring business, as it allows him to utilize his prior, specialized knowledge. Formative assessments such as response-to-text writings are assigned during class time. These pieces are not
graded, but rather used to assess comprehension and communication skills; positive feedback is
provided by the next class period to reinforce growth in Jarons writing (Tomlinson, 2001). He
begins to play a more active role in class discussions and spend more time on in-class assignments.
Eventually Jaron begins to feel more comfortable with his abilities. With encouragement,
he begins to put more effort into his school work and earns grades in the A-B range for the first
time in years. He still chooses the path of least resistance, selecting assignments that he feels will
be easiest to complete, but off-task interruptions become much less frequent and are replaced by
interesting and relevant contributions to class discussions. He begins to scold classmates for offtask, disengaged behavior and is able to remind peers of the plots of short stories and articles previously read in class.
During the final weeks of the school year, Jaron alternates between concentrated effort on
his final portfolio and waiting to be told what to do. In the end, while he may not yet be a fully
independent student, his completed portfolio is an impressive work which illustrates his growth
as a writer and thinker.

Case Study

6
Effective Strategies

While there is no doubt that Jaron is motivated in some areas of his life (his out-of-school
jobs, the Forestry and Natural Resources program), he does not see himself as a successful academic student. Strategies that were or would have been effective in helping Jaron change his
self-perception relate to the expectancy-value theory and the self-determination theory.
Brophy (1987) writes about the expectancy x value theory; the idea that the effort a student is willing to put into work is related to the perceived odds of success. Seeing as how Jaron
has had limited academic success in the past, and does not automatically perceive the connection
between work assigned in an English class and his goals for the future, at the beginning of the
fall semester his expectations and value for this academic course are quite low. As supported by
the research of Borders, Earleywine, and Huey (2004), Jaron's acting out in class is related to this
mindset, and perhaps a way of avoiding engaging in academics that may prove once and for all
that he is indeed unintelligent. According to Anderman and Anderman (2014), the best approach
is to work to change Jarons expectations and self-beliefs by helping him develop a growth
mind-set, a belief that through work and effort, one can increase his abilities and skills in academic areas (p. 206).
Brophy (1987) recommends a variety of ways to help a student become intrinsically motivated, and these strategies are often used in the English class in which Jaron is enrolled. Specific
strategies that were employed in this case are adapting tasks to interests, allowing choices, providing immediate feedback, allowing students to complete tasks, asking higher-order thinking
questions, and allowing opportunities for students to work with their peers (pp. 44-46).
Since Jaron is intrinsically motivated to learn about heavy equipment operation, logging,
and maple sugaring, efforts are made to provide him with texts (both fiction and non-fiction) re-

Case Study

lated to these topics. For unit culminating assignments, choices are provided for final products;
in the future, designing these choices so that one does not appear easier than others would, this
educator hopes, help Jaron choose a project which would challenge him, as opposed to the one
he feels he can successfully complete with minimal effort. As Jaron begins to gain confidence in
his abilities, he may find reasons to engage with his academic coursework and thus cease the disruptive behaviors (Borders, Earleywine, and Huey, 2004).
Differentiating instruction is effective for Jaron because it allows him to utilize his skills
in project-based activities and have options beyond the traditional literacy-based assignments
that he has struggled with in the past and with which he does not feel particularly comfortable.
Balancing choice with cooperative learning meets Jarons needs for independence and social interaction.
The use of positive feedback to change Jarons perception of his work is an effective way
to help him build efficacy in language arts related tasks, as well as increase his academic selfconfidence (Birdsell, et al., 2009; Anderman and Anderman, 2014). As long as it is delivered in a
non-threatening way, timely feedback can be used to support Jarons understanding of concepts
and texts (Dean et al., 2012).
Jaron would also benefit from goal setting. The teacher could use a classroom mastery
goal structure to help Jaron and his classmates begin to set proximal goals short-term goals
with an emphasis on attainable outcomes related to learning and demonstrating understanding
(Anderman and Anderman, 2014). As Jaron begins to meet the goals he sets for himself, his selfimage will improve. Goal setting is also a good way to help students see the relationship between
effort and results. Feedback provided should relate to these goals and reinforce the idea that the
teacher and student are partners in the students learning.

Case Study

Teaching Jaron to utilize deep cognitive strategies (Anderman and Anderman, 2014, p.
200) would be an effective way to help him delve into the material and create long-term, meaningful relationships with the content. Deep cognitive strategies allow a student to reach the proximal goals he has set for himself. As Jaron becomes comfortable using deep cognitive strategies,
his intrinsic motivation will increase because the process of learning and engaging with academics will be easier for him.
There is clearly a connection between Jaron's sense of school-related self-worth and his
academic performance, which can be explained by the self-determination theory. Ames (1990)
states that helping students become motivated to learn is a matter of helping students develop
goals, beliefs, and attitudes [] that will sustain a long-term involvement and that will contribute to quality involvement in learning (p. 410). Thus, Jaron would benefit from a thoughtfully
designed classroom environment that allows him to build a sense of self-efficacy. While research
has shown that high school students do not respond well to praise, particularly praise related to
ability (Ames, 1990, p. 416), reinforcing that Jaron is on the right path and making improvements in his usage of written conventions, for example, allows him to continue taking small
risks. Task-specific positive feedback allows Jaron to begin to improve the quality of his work
and simultaneously change his self-perception.
Finally, it is important that his teachers work to create strong, positive personal relationships with Jaron. He is a sensitive and insecure young man, and feeling safe and accepted in his
learning environment is an important factor in his ability to engage fully in his education and create long term learning.

Conclusion

Case Study

In many ways, Jaron is typical of the students who enroll in Technical Communications
and the opportunity to focus in depth on motivating factors in his education allows the teacher to
look at the structure and climate of the classroom with a new perspective and consider how these
factors may help motivate other students. The strategies that have worked or may work for Jaron
should also motivate other learners, as these strategies are grounded in research. The combination of the materials regarding motivation with the previous study of differentiated instruction
provides a strong framework from which to plan and implement lessons that will offer opportunities for success to all students.

Case Study

10
References

Anderman, E.M. and Anderman, L.H. Classroom Motivation (2nd ed). (2014). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Ames, C. A. (1990). Motivation: What teachers need to know. Teachers College Record, 91(5),
409-421.
Birdsell, B. S., Ream, S. M., Seyller, A. M., & Zobott, P. L. (2009). Motivating students by
increasing student choice. Online Submission, ERIC EBSCOhost.
Borders, A., Earleywine, M., & Huey, S. J. (2004). Predicting problem behaviors with multiple
expectancies: Expanding expectancy-value theory. Adolescence, 39(155), 539-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195939540?accountid=12756
Brophy, J. (1987). Synthesis of research on strategies for motivating students to learn. Educational Leadership, 45(2) 40-48.
Dean, C.B., Hubbell, E.R., Pitler, H., Stone, B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works:
Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.
Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2nd ed.).
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.