Dept of Mathematics Education seminar: 23 June 2023

It is a great pleasure to invite you for another extra DME event, a talk by Prof. N.M. van Atteveldt (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). See the details below:

Proving or improving yourself: neurocognitive interplay between motivation, learning behavior and achievement

We all know that motivation is important for learning, and that low motivation can be a real concern for teachers. But the relation between motivation and achievement is bi-directional: performance also influences motivation, and possibly even stronger than vice versa. In this talk, I will present research from our lab in which we explore the relation between motivation and achievement, and the learning behaviors mediating this relation, which can be aimed at proving or improving oneself. A motivational construct relevant in this context is the mindset meaning system, or how children view themselves as learners and their abilities to improve or not. For example, in one of our recent studies we find that young adolescent’s mindset influences whether they choose easy or difficult math problems to solve. I will also discuss factors influencing the motivation-achievement interplay at multiple levels (mind, brain, environment), and whether and how the ensuing cyclic developmental patterns may be diverted by interventions to improve motivation and academic resilience.

Presenter bio: Prof. dr. Nienke van Atteveldt, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Nienke received her PhD in cognitive neuroscience (Maastricht University). After her PhD she spent a couple of years in New York (Columbia University) to investigate how the brain adapts its processing to the current context and behavioral goal. Her interest in how neuroscience interacts with society has been growing since that time, and particularly, that challenge of how we can optimize the educational value of developmental cognitive neuroscience research. She currently works as full professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam where she leads the Lab of Learning. She is currently Vice-President of the International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES), and co-chair of the UNESCO MGIEP International Scientific Evidence-based Education (ISEE) Assessment.