Rate My Professor Brett Jones

Brett D. Jones, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Educational Psychology Program in the School of Education at Virginia Tech. He joined Virginia Tech in 2006 after holding faculty positions as an educational psychologist at Duke University and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Throughout his career, Jones has taught 24 different types of university courses focused on motivation, cognition, and teaching strategies. He has delivered workshops and invited presentations at many universities worldwide and presented over 160 research papers at professional conferences. His extensive scholarly output includes more than 100 refereed journal articles, several book chapters, and three books. Key publications encompass 'Motivating Students to Engage in Learning: The MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation' (2009), 'Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big Ideas to Guide Effective Teaching' (2012), 'The Effects of an Afterschool STEM Program on Students’ Motivation and Engagement' (2017), and 'The Effects of Mind Mapping Activities on Students' Motivation' (2012). Jones's research centers on instructional methods that enhance students’ motivation and learning.

Jones developed the MUSIC Model of Motivation, which distills his research into five core principles—eMpowered, Useful, Successful, Interested, and Cared for—designed for instructors to foster student motivation across educational levels from first grade to graduate school. The associated questionnaire has been translated into 13 languages and implemented in diverse settings, including medical schools in New Zealand and Mexico, and a health science school in Iceland. His contributions have earned international recognition in the fields of motivation, learning, and cognition. Jones has secured three grants from the National Science Foundation totaling over $2 million to support his research initiatives. In 2022, he received the Award for Excellence in Research from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, which includes a $2,000 prize and a plaque. Currently, he collaborates with computer science faculty at Virginia Tech to improve the motivational climate in virtual courses, aiming to attract more underrepresented minority students.