Integrating movement in classroom settings is a fairly new, but promising approach to increase students’ academic motivation. Furthermore, implementing the use of mobile technology in the classroom is also seen as a facilitator of student academic motivation. Studies have shown that improved academic motivation increases students’ academic performance and commitment in school. Thus, the purpose of this thesis was to examine students’ academic motivation when these two approaches were combined and thereby to determine the stimulation of movement-promoting mobile technology on student academic motivation during biology lessons. Furthermore, this thesis includes a movement taxonomy to distinguish the different kinds of movement used in the classroom. The taxonomy includes three categories: Activity breaks being short mental breaks with no connection to the academic subject, the supportive movement being movement combined with the academic subject and integrated movement being integrated within the academic subject taught.
Data was collected using qualitative semi-structured interviews as its primary source. Furthermore, video observations, observational notes, and teachers’ notes were used as secondary data. Two teachers were interviewed separately while 36 students were interviewed in groups. Data were transcribed verbatim. Using an interpretive phenomenological analysis-approach the data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify themes that could explain how student academic motivation was stimulated when movement-promoting mobile technology was integrated during biology lessons.
The results showed five main themes being (1) movement, (2) mobile technology (3) psychological determinants, (4) community and (5) variation which could explain how student academic motivation was stimulated. Inside each theme, both positive and negative stimulants were addressed.
The discussion indicated that the activity breaks facilitated by mobile technology seemed to predominantly influence student academic motivation in a positive manner because they produced variation, promoted the feeling of community, were fun and increased the student’s ability to concentrate following these breaks. Some negative factors were seen as well, being some degree of pointlessness to the activity breaks for some students and a reduction in the possibilities for student autonomy. During these lessons inclusion of mobile technology were seen as unnecessary by the majority of the students.
The lessons which included supportive movement facilitated by mobile technology seemed to predominantly influence student academic motivation in a negative manner. This was the case because this type of movement was perceived as distracting and influenced the student’s ability to concentrate negatively. Furthermore, this type of movement reduced the possibilities for student autonomy. Some positive factors were seen as well, being an increased feeling of community and an increase in student willingness to participate during these lessons. During these lessons, students reported that mobile technology was seen as a distracting element.
The integrated movement facilitated by mobile technology seemed to influence student academic motivation in a positive manner being related to a high degree of meaningfulness, created a setting which permitted autonomy and gave students an experience of increased understanding of the academic subject taught. During these lessons the inclusion of mobile technology were seen as meaningful.
In conclusion, the integrated movement seemed to facilitate student motivation the most, compared to the other kinds of movement used during the biology lessons while the use of mobile technology seemed unnecessary during activity breaks and was seen as a distracting element during lessons with supporting movement. On the other hand, it was seen as meaningful during lessons that included integrated movement.
However, due to the lack of research on the subject further research is needed to verify the results of this thesis.