Effect of Instructional Behavior of Teachers on Students’ Motivation Towards Learning Science at Secondary School Level

Abstract

This study explores the impact of teachers' instructional behaviors on secondary school students' motivation to learn science in public schools in Lahore. The primary objectives were to evaluate teachers' instructional practices and their influence on students' motivation. A sample of 540 students (320 females and 220 males) was selected through simple random sampling. Utilizing a descriptive, quantitative approach with a causal-comparative design, the research focused on two key variables: teachers' instructional behavior and students' motivation to learn science. Data were gathered using two validated questionnaires: one adapted from Patrick et al. (2013) to assess instructional behavior across four dimensions (instructional, negative teaching, socio-emotional, and organizational behaviors), and the Student Motivation towards Learning Science Questionnaire (SMQ) adapted from Glynn (2011), examining motivation across five domains (career motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, and grade motivation). Both instruments demonstrated reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.806. Results revealed no significant gender differences in instructional behavior, except in organizational behavior. The study recommends fostering a supportive classroom environment and further research into factors affecting students' motivation to enhance science learning outcomes.