Motivation is usually separated into two different categories- intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. These are related to the goal orientation of the student. Intrinsic motivation is determined by an interest in learning and mastery, curiosity and preference for challenge and leads to a mastery goal orientation. Extrinisic motivation is determined by the external rewards- money, tokens, teacher/parent approval and leads to a performance goal orientatiion. These two types of motivation will therefore influnence the type of learning and the strategies that the student will use.
Performance goal orientation, usually directed by extrinsic motivation, focuses on one's ability and self worth. But here ability is evidenced by doing better than others and/or by achieving success with little effort. These students usually only seek to prove their competence. They take too easy or too difficult courses. They give up easily.
Students with a mastery goal orientation see school as gaining competence in skill. They engage in learning for self-fulfillment. This leads to an increase in amount of time spent on learning a task, seeking challenges and persistence through difficulty.
The use of praise and rewards as a motivating factor has been debated and researched for a long time. It is possible that rewards, in particular, may only have an effect on extrinsic motivation. On the other hand rewards are used widely- from stickers, to tokens, to privileges to tangle rewards- to encourage students to engage in a particular activity. The question to be investigated is whether the rewards are effective in short-term engagement in activities or in long-term development of meanigful learning practices. Another danger is the fact that what may serve as a reward for one student may have no meaning for another. Alternatively what may be used as a punishment could turn out to be a reward to a student.
Three main factors are important in the consideration of how to motivate students in the classroom:
* autonomy versus control
* optimal challenge to the students
* the involvement of the teacher.
These lead to four major conditions in the classroom that are necessary for teachers to motivate students to acquire knowledge and skills and not just to pass exams. These four conditions are:
* a supportive learning environment
Go To Page: 1 2
