Margareta Thomson, a professor of educational psychology in the NCState College of Education, recently released an edited book focused on motivation and engagement from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The book, entitled Motivation and Engagement in Various Learning Environments Interdisciplinary Perspectives and published by Information Age Publishing (IAP), brings together research studies from different domains related to students motivation, engagement and learning; parents experiences; and teachers involvement with novel interdisciplinary programs. The book compiles research on motivation and engagement in various domains, including STEM, literacy, design and computer science with a particular focus on interdisciplinarity as learning occurs across multiple domains and in various contexts, such as formal and informal education.

The book provides examples of studies discussing different modalities in designing and implementing innovative educational programs, inquiry-based learning and novel applications for instruction. Motivation and Engagement in Various Learning Environments appeals to a wide audience, including researchers, teachers, parents, students and education specialists, Thomson said.

In addition to chapters co-authored by Thomson, the book features chapters from contributing authors from around the world including the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Romania and the United States. The studies and projects described in the book were implemented in different countries and focus on how motivation is explored in various domains, taking into account several perspectives, specifically those of students, teachers and parents.

The projects can serve as models for similar studies and build a foundation for further research into interdisciplinary work, Thomson said.Thomsons research investigates teachers and students development, motivations and beliefs, particularly related to STEM learning. Work from her research has been published in major peer-review journals, and her research has been supported by prestigious funding agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is a recipient of the University Faculty Scholars Award at NCState University, and a Fulbright Scholar Award from the U.S. Fulbright Commission.

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Professor Margareta Thomson Explores Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Motivation and Engagement in Edited Book - NC State College of Education News