ABSTRACT
The use of culturally relevant pedagogy will lead to both motivational and behavioral benefits for students from all ethnic backgrounds. Students who experience learned helplessness most likely have a fixed mindset. Students may engage in a number of maladaptive behavioral, emotional, and cognitive activities when motivation goes awry. Self-handicapping is a process through which students deliberately try to externalize their failures to preserve their self-esteem or self-worth. Students engage in self-handicapping behaviors when they do not expect to succeed at an academic task. In particular, students who either are low in measured ability, or just believe they lack relevant ability, are likely to engage in self-handicapping behaviors. Many motivation researchers are interested in students’ tendencies to seek help when they are experiencing difficulties with their work. When students actively seek help, they learn material more effectively.
