Motives that give meaning to learning in school: The view of teachers and students

This study characterizes and contrasts the logic under which a sense of learning is assigned in the Chilean school context. A comparison is made of the profiles of students of high and low socio-economic status, as well as between the students and the teachers. For this purpose, we studied a sample of 181 third-year high school students of both sexes (K-11) and of low and high socio-economic status from the city of Santiago de Chile. Additionally, a sample of 207 pre-service teachers and 297 in-service teachers was considered for comparative purposes. The results show differences among the students and between the students and the teachers. Especially relevant is that the differences between teachers and students are accentuated in relation to students of low socio-economic status. Finally, these findings and the implications of the dissimilar evaluations between teachers and students regarding the reasons for learning in the school are discussed.