Generative Learning and Student Motivation in Middle-School Science: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study

The present study examined whether seventh-grade female students in Oman who were taught through the generative learning model showed higher posttest science achievement and motivation to learn science than students who received regular instruction. The study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups. There were 56 student participants, with 28 in the experimental group and 28 in the control group. The experimental group was taught using a teacher’s guide organized around the stages of the generative learning model, whereas the control group received regular instruction for the same Grade 7 science unit. Student outcomes were assessed using an academic achievement test covering knowledge, application, and reasoning, and a motivation toward learning science scale. Pretest evidence indicated baseline equivalence between the two groups on achievement, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.939, F(3, 52) = 1.13, p = 0.346, and motivation, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.943, F(6, 49) = 0.489, p = 0.807. Posttest comparisons showed higher achievement and motivation scores for the experimental group under the conditions of the study. The findings provide preliminary context-specific evidence that generative learning may be associated with stronger cognitive and motivational outcomes in middle-school science, although the intact-class design warrants cautious interpretation.