Patterns of Young Childrenʹs Motivation for Science and Teacher-Child Relationships

In this article, the authors examined whether there were different motivational profiles within a sample of kindergarteners (N = 110) learning science. The authors identified 3 profiles involving childrenʹs perceived competence in, liking, and ease of learning science by using cluster analysis. High motivational beliefs characterized the largest profile. Low competence but high liking characterized a smaller group, and another group reported low liking with moderate competence. These profiles did not differ by gender, race, early academic achievement, or classroom. However, children with the low-competence and high-liking profile reported less teacher support for learning than did children with high motivational beliefs. Exploratory analysis also indicated that the nature and frequency of observed teacher-child interactions differed by motivational profile.