Toward and integrative framework for theories of motivation in education

Several major theories have been established in research on motivation in education to explain and predict the direction, initiation, intensity, and persistence of learning behaviors. The most commonly cited theories focusing on academic motivation include expectancy-value theory, social cognitive theory, interest theory, self-determination theory, goal orientation theory, and attribution theory (Schunk et al., 2014). To gain a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences among these prominent theories, we present an integrative framework based on an action model (Heckhausen & Heckhausen, 2018). Associated recent meta-analyses demonstrate the empirical relationship between the motivation constructs of the six central theories and academic achievement. In this proposal, the integrative framework is presented and the value is illustrated through two examples from interest theory and attribution theory.