“As a motivation researcher, this is the book I’ve been hoping for throughout my career. SEVT remains extraordinarily influential for explaining academic achievement and related behaviors, and the authors skillfully weave their personal stories into the theory’s decades-long development. What makes this volume especially strong is its rare combination of accessibility and rigor; it is readable for practicing educators while still offering the depth and scope that advanced undergraduate and graduate students will appreciate. Above all, the book clearly demonstrates SEVT’s broad relevance to research, practice, and policy impacting students, teachers, schools, families, and communities.”

—Eric M. Anderman, PhD, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University


“In this landmark contribution, Eccles, Wigfield, Simpkins, and Lauermann provide a compelling historical review of their influential theory, paired with a grand synthesis of recent theoretical advances and groundbreaking research in motivation. The book represents the culmination of decades of theory-driven research, while highlighting recent developments and charting future directions for the field. Robust scholarship is artfully combined with fascinating personal reflections that make this book both readable and inspiring for graduate students, scientists, and educators.”

—Judith M. Harackiewicz, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison