Introduction

Th e academic lives of children are challenging and complex. In line with the mission of schooling, children are expected to engage in academic activities, learn from instruction, and meet standards of intellectual competency established by others. Each day at school children also are expected to adhere to classroom rules, maintain and establish new relationships with classmates and adults, and participate in activities as part of their school community. Central to understanding children’s success at these activities is motivation, that is, the energy they bring to these tasks, the beliefs, values and goals that determine which tasks they pursue and their persistence in achieving them, and the standards they set to determine when a task has been accomplished. Given the motivational challenges inherent in accomplishing these tasks, questions concerning how and why children are motivated (or not motivated) to achieve these academic and social outcomes at various stages of their educational careers have been at the forefront of research for over 40 years.