Abstract
Many instructors have tried to incorporate authentic (real-world) based problems or open-ended projects (ill-defined problems) into their math classes in an attempt to improve student motivation and interest in mathematics. However, the increases in motivation and interest are often not realized by the students. This presentation will introduce a model to explain this phenomenon. The central tenet of the hypothesized model is that student 19s epistemic beliefs need to change in order to accommodate such non-traditional projects, and such change will not occur passively. A brief overview of current research in motivation theory and personal epistemology in the math classroom will accompany an introduction to the concept of epistemic scaffolding.