Why do teachers and students (dis-)agree in judging student motivation? A lens model perspective

Abstract Background Although teachers intuitively judge student motivation every day, little is known what information students and teachers prioritize to judge student motivation. Aim We examined students’ and teachers’ judgments by applying the lens model, an approach explicitly developed to explain the emergence of social judgments by multiple attributes. Methods Nineteen teachers each judged Md = 21 secondary school students’ motivation for a specific school subject on single-item scales ( N = 447 students) as students did. Furthermore, subject-specific achievement goals, gender, migration background, and school grades served as cues potentially used in judging student motivation. Results Students and teachers aligned with r = .24 ( p < .001) on students’ subject-specific motivation. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that students predominantly value achievement goals for feeling motivated. Teachers overemphasized school grades, and to a lesser extent work-avoidance goals. They perceived students with a migration background as being less motivated. Discussion Results demonstrate that different perceptions of why students are motivated can explain low agreement in judging motivation. Options how the judgments of students and teachers could be aligned are discussed.