Informing students about major motivational theories and related research, this thought-provoking text includes an overview of metatheoretical perspectives, expectancy and efficacy beliefs, attribution theory, social cognitive theory, goal theory, intrinsic motivation, values and affect, and social-cultural influences such as schools, classrooms, peers and families. Offering intensive conceptual details of different theories, it describes and applies the most recent advances in motivation theory and research to the classroom context.