Profile of motivation in Project-Based Robotics Experience

Project-based learning (PBL) is well documented to elicit positive motivational gains in students. Studies also support hands-on robotic projects as exemplary PBL experiences for motivating and engaging students in the learning process. Unfortunately, limited empirical evidence has supported this position. Furthermore, pre-vs. post-studies have found no statistical change in motivation for students who engaged in robotic projects vs. students who do not, even when past academic success, age, and technical experience are considered. Therefore, to understand whether motivation truly did not change during the lifecycle of a hands-on PBL robotics project (i.e., during a mid-point of the project), this study analyzed four repeat measures of motivational orientation across two years of a robotics course project. Results of the one-way repeated measures, using a linear mixed model, revealed that the motivational orientation constructs of expectancy and value were statistically different across the four waves [F(3, 3)=2.92, p=0.0338]. Follow up post hoc Student's t-tests showed differences between surveys S-1 and S-2 (p=0.0192), as well as surveys S-2 and S-4 (p=0.0147). These results illustrated that students' motivational orientation did change throughout the project, being consumed and dropping below pre- (S-1) and post- (S-4) levels during the middle (S-2 - S-3) of the project. This aligns with current literature that shows student interest, a construct of motivation, rises and falls throughout a PBL experience as the "energy" of motivation is consumed. Furthermore, this study provides empirical evidence of the unique profile for motivational orientation during a PBL robotics project and increases the empirical evidence base of student motivation related to hands-on robotics projects.