Motivation | Luke K. Fryer Motivated to Learn Research Lab

Motivation2Learn LAB

We focus on three central issues:

1. How students get interested at school.

2. How students' motivation and beliefs for learning can be sustainably supported.

3. Clarifying the strengths and weaknesses of educational technology.

photo of a picture from:

David Wiesner (June 29, 1999)

Research Project Ongong

Core Research Projects

AIMS:

Make interest research of greater practical use to educators by modelling the interconnections between specific classroom experiences and the development of students' personal interest in educational domains of learning.

Key Project Outputs: --->Click each reference for direct download

1. Fryer, L. K., Ainley, M. & Thompson, A. (2016). Modeling the links between students’ interest in a domain, the tasks they experience

and their interest in a course: Isn’t interest what university is all about? Learning and Individual Differences. 50, 57-165.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.08.011

2. Fryer, L. K., Ainley, M., Thompson, A., Gibson, A., & Sherlock, Z. (2017). Stimulating and sustaining interest in a language course: An

experimental comparison of Chatbot and Human task partners. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 461-468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.045

3. Fryer, L. K. & Ainley, M. (2019). Supporting interest in a study domain: A longitudinal test of the interplay between interest, utility-

value, and competence beliefs. Learning and Instruction. 60, 252-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.11.002

4. Fryer, L. K., Nakao, K. & Thompson, A. (2019). Chatbot learning partners: Connecting learning experiences, interest and competence.

Computers in Human Behaviour. 93,279-289. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.023

5. Fryer, L. K. & Bovee, H. N. (2020) Teaching for course interest. Studies in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1712692

6. Fryer, L. K., Shum, A., Lee, A. & Lau, P. (2021). Mapping students' interest in a new domain: Connecting prior knowledge, interest, and

self-efficacy with interesting tasks and a lasting desire to reengage. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101493

7. Fryer, L. K., Bovee, H.N. and Nakao, K. (2022). Self-efficacy latent growth trajectories' longitudinal links with achievement and interest:

Both baseline and growth rate are important for interest outcomes. British Journal of Educational Psychology e12473. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12473

8. Shum, A. & Fryer, L. K. (2023).Grade goal effects on the interplay between motivation and performance in undergraduate gateway

mathematics courses. Contemporary Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102228

9. Fryer, L. K., *Bovee, H. N., Witkins, N, & Mathews, P. (2023). Nudging students’ interest: A large-scale motivation-commercial

experimental proof of concept. System. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103162

10. Fryer, L. K., *Shum. A., *Bovee, H. N., Nakao, K., & Ozono, S. ( 2024). The short and long(er)-term dividends of self-efficacy’s latent

growth rate:Attendance, knowledge gain, and domain interest outcomes across two academic years. Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2024.2387549

11. Guo, Z. & Fryer, L. K. (2024). What really elicits learners’ situational interest in the learning activities: A scoping review of the most

frequently addressed situational interest sources among existing empirical studies in educational settings. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-07176-x

12. Fryer, L. K. & *Shum, A. (2024). Math task experiences and motivation to learn more: how prior knowledge, interest and self-

efficacy with task-interest & task-difficulty together feed a desire to reengage with learning. British Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4057

13. Fryer, L. K., *Shum, A., King, R., & Lau, P. (2025). How does interest in a course interact with course learning? Learning and Instruction.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102106

14. *Guo, Z., & Fryer, L. K. (2025). Personal relevance and interest: Exploring the relationships among three types of perceived personal

relevance and middle school students’ interest in a math lesson. Learning and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102733

15. *Guo, Z & Fryer, L. K. (2025). The development and validation of three types of personal relevance measure. Journal of Experimental

Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2025.2476643

16. Shum A., & Fryer, L. K. (2026). Examining short-term self-efficacy change connections with performance, perceived difficulty, and

interest. Learning & Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102223

1. Understanding and Supporting the Development of Interest in Classrooms

2. Learning Strategies Development

AIMS:

Expand current conceptions of students' learning strategies through novel research design/analyses and by integrating longstanding, overlapping models.

Key Project Outputs: --->Click each reference for direct download

1. Fryer, L. K. (2017). Building bridges: Seeking structure and direction for motivated learning strategy models. Educational

Psychology Review. 29, 325-344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9405-7

2. Fryer, L. K. (2017). (Latent) transitions to learning at university: A latent profile transition analysis of first-year Japanese

students. Higher Education. 73, 519-537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0094-9

3. Fryer, L. K. & Vermunt, J. D. (2018). Regulating approaches to learning: Testing learning strategy convergences across a year at

university. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 88, 21-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12169

4. Fryer, L. K. & Ginns, P. (2018). A reciprocal test of perceptions of teaching quality and approaches to learning: A longitudinal

examination of teaching-learning connections. Educational Psychology. 8.1032-1049. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2017.1403568.

5. Dinsmore, D. & Fryer, L. K. (2019). Developing learners’ cognitive strategies and the motivations to use them: Rethinking

Education Policy. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732219860862

6. Dinsmore, D. L., Fryer, L. K. & Parkinson, M. M. (2020). Handbook of strategies and strategic processing: Conceptualization,

measurement, and analysis. New York: Routledge.

7. Fryer, L. K., Lee, S. & Shum, A. (2020). Student Learning, Development, Engagement, and Motivation in Higher Education.” In

Oxford Bibliographies in Education. Ed. Anne Hynds. New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/OBO/9780199756810-0246

8. Shum, A., Fryer, L. K., & Cano, F. (2021). Nature vs Nurture: Predicting learning strategy patterns and their outcomes. Higher

Education Research and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1985088

9.Dinsmore, D. L., Fryer, L. K., & Parkinson, M. M. (2022). The learning styles hypothesis is false, but there are patterns of student

characteristics that are useful. Theory Into Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2107333

10. Dinsmore, D., Fryer, L. K. & Dumas D. (2023). A theoretical and meta-theoretical reframing of the development of cognitive

processing and learning. Educational Psychology Review. 35 (66).https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09789-3

11. *Shum, A., Fryer, L. K., Vermunt, J., Donche, V., Petegam, P., Lee, D., Rienaldo, R., Ajiksmo, C., Summer W. & Cano, F. (2023). Variable-

and Person-centred meta-re-analyses of university students' learning strategies from a cross-cultural perspective. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01062-4

12. Dinsmore, D. L. & Fryer, L. K. (2023). Critical thinking and its relation to strategic processing. Educational Psychology Review. 35(1)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09755-z

13. Dinsmore, D. & Fryer, L. K. (2026). What does current GenAI actually mean for student learning? Learning and Individual

Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102834

3. Learning with Bots

AIMS:

Explore the growing (endless) potential of AI (bots) as learning partners for formal education.

Key Project Outputs: --->Click each reference for direct download

1. Fryer, L. K., & Carpenter, R. (2006). Bots as language learning tools. Language Learning and Technology, 10, 8-14. Permanent

Online Location: llt.msu.edu/vol10num3/emerging/

2 .Fryer, L. K., Ainley, M., Thompson, A., Gibson, A., & Sherlock, Z. (2017). Stimulating and sustaining interest in a language

course: An experimental comparison of Chatbot and Human task partners. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 461-468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.045

3. Fryer, L. K., Nakao, K. & Thompson, A. (2019). Chatbot learning partners: Connecting learning experiences, interest and

competence. Computers in Human Behaviour. 93,279-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.023

4. Fryer, L. K., Thompson, A., Nakao, K., Howarth, M., & Gallacher, A. (2020). Supporting self-efficacy beliefs and interest as

educational inputs and outcomes: Framing AI and Human partnered task experience. Learning and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101850

5. Fryer, L. K., Coniam, D., Carpenter, R., and Lăpușneanu, D. (2020). Bots for language learning now. Language Learning and

Technology. 24(3). 8–22. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10125/44719

6. Huang, W., Hew T. & Fryer, L. K. (2022). Chatbots for language learning—are they really useful? A systematic review of

chatbot-supported language learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. http://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12610

7. Fryer, L. K. (2025). A psychological platform for GenAI and human co-piloting in education. Frontline Learning Research.

https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v13i1.1523

8. #Huang, W., #Jiang, J., King, R. B., & Fryer, L. K. (2025). Chatbots and student motivation: A scoping review. International

Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00524-2

9. Theoni, D. & Fryer, L. K. (preprints, April 2025). AI Tutors in Higher Education: Comparing Expectations to Evidence.

Preprinted: Download

10. Fryer, L. K., & Thoeni, A. (2025). GenAI tutors in higher education: Testing support for student learning. Open Science

Framework. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/spw9h_v1

11. Dinsmore, D. & Fryer, L. K. (2026). What does current GenAI actually mean for student learning? Learning and Individual

Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102834

4. Mobile Assessment for Learning

AIMS:

Support classroom learning (K-Tertiary) mobile formative assessment tools

Key Project Outputs:

*Liang, L. Oga-Baldwin, W. L., Nakao, K., *Shum. A. & Fryer, L. K. (2024). Transitioning from Paper to

Touch interface:Phoneme-Grapheme Recognition Testing and Gamification in Primary school classrooms. Technology in Language Teaching & Learning. https://doi.org/10.29140/tltl.v6n2.1067

2. Nakao, K., Oga-Baldwin, W. L., & Fryer, L. K. (2024). Developing phoneme-grapheme recognition in English as a foreign

language: A longitudinal study at Japanese primary school. International Electronic Journal of Elementary School Education. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2024.33

3. *Shum, A. & Fryer, L. K. (2023). Grade goal effects on the interplay between motivation and performance in undergraduate

gateway mathematics courses. Contemporary Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102228

4. Nakao, K., Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q., & Fryer, L. K. (2022, Fall). Phonemic awareness as fundamental listening skill: A cross-

sectional, cohort study of elementary foreign language learners.

5. Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q, Nakao, K., Fryer, L. K., & Shum, A. (2022) Development of a smart application for phonological testing in

elementary schools: The building blocks of an adaptive test. Poster presented at the 21st International CALL Research Conference, Tokyo, Japan. July 8–10.

6. Fryer, L. K., *Shum, A., Leen, A. & Lau, P. (2021). Mapping students' interest in a new domain: Connecting prior knowledge,

interest, and self-efficacy with interesting tasks and a lasting desire to reengage. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101493

7. Fryer, L. K. & *Shum, A. (2024). Math task experiences and motivation to learn more: how prior knowledge, interest and

self-efficacy with task-interest & task-difficulty together feed a desire to reengage with learning. British Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4057

8. Fryer, L. K., *Shum, A., King, R., & Lau, P. (2025). How does interest in a course interact with course learning? Learning and

Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102106

Motivation2Learn LAB

Core Research Projects

1. Understanding and Supporting the Development of Interest in Classrooms

2. Learning Strategies Development

3. Learning with Bots

4. Mobile Assessment for Learning

Links

Google scholar: Everything

Scopus: A curated collection of almost everything

ResearchGate: Can download everything open access

Faculty of Education,

The University of Hong Kong

The Centre for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

The University of Hong Kong

Motivation2Learn LAB

​

Core Research Projects

1. Understanding and Supporting the Development of Interest in Classrooms

​

2. Learning Strategies Development

3. Learning with Bots

4. Mobile Assessment for Learning

Links

Google scholar: Everything

​

Scopus: A curated collection of almost everything

​

ResearchGate: Can download everything open access

Faculty of Education,

The University of Hong Kong

The Centre for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

The University of Hong Kong