Het Groeihuis-project

: Inspelen op autonome motivatie bij jongeren door het bouwen van een Tiny-house

Abstract

This study aimed to gain insight into the impact of participation in the Growthhouse project on the autonome motivation of the participating adolescents, as well as the influence of motivational interventions on their motivation for STEM activities. The project involved seventeen adolescents with a minimum age of fourteen.
A multi-method approach was employed, using self-constructed questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The questionnaire data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess differences in motivation at the beginning and end of the project. The semistructured interviews were analyzed using a combined thematic data analysis to understand the impact of motivational interventions on participants' motivation. Both data collection methods were conducted during the Growthhouse project.
The results showed no significant difference in autonome motivation between the start and end of the project. A possible explanation for this is that the participating adolescents already displayed high intrinsic motivation for STEM activities at the project's outset. Additionally, it was found that motivational interventions applied in school contexts, such as those based on self-determination theory, the achievement goal theory, and MAP interventions, had a positive influence on the participants' motivation.
The adolescents indicated that, while the facilitators were already addressing many motivational aspects, there were areas that had not yet been addressed or could still be improved. These findings can be implemented by the facilitators of the Growthhouse project to better tailor future projects to the motivation of the participants.
From a policy perspective, these results suggest that extracurricular projects can be a valuable strategy for motivating adolescents toward STEM activities. Further research should focus on whether these findings can be generalized to the broader adolescent population and explore whether extracurricular STEM projects contribute to an increase in the number of young people pursuing STEM education.

Date of Award	7 Oct 2024
Original language	Dutch
Awarding Institution	Psychology
Supervisor	Valérie Marie Thomas (Promotor)