Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Dynamic Learning Environment/Motivation

Teachers are often faced with three types of students: the overachiever, underachiever, and the child who is some where in between. However, teachers, parents, and school systems are constantly looking for ways to motivate students. Some may say that motivation starts at home. Others may even say that if parents train their child early on to do well in school and to be enthusiastic about learning then most children would do well in school. Then students would not need to be motivated by teachers. In order for motivation to occur all parties must be willing to work together as a whole unit.

What is Motivation
Motivation is to incite, encourage, or arouse a person. People use motivation to help people to enjoy something that they normally find boring and repetitive. There are two basic types of motivation- intrinsic and extrinsic. Jere Brophy states, “ Student motivation is rooted in students' subjective experiences, especially those connected to their willingness to engage in lessons and learning activities and their reasons for doing so.” Motivation is a way for teachers to grab the attention of those who are underachievers in the hope that they will become interested enough in learning so that their grades will rise.

Along with motivation, there comes a motive- a cause or reason to do something. Sometimes it may help if students are given a reason to become higher achievers than they were before. Why should students like history? What will they use history for in the future? Can I succeed without knowing or understanding history? Those are questions students may ask about any subject that does not interest them. The point of motivation is to get students to learn because they want to do it not because state laws require it. Teachers do not wish for students to have the attitude that they are going to do something because they know that it is required. Teachers want their students to learn because it gives them satisfaction.

However, regardless of these facts many children still refuse to learn because a part of them has given up. It's not that they don't care it's the fact that they need someone to care about them and to give them positive reinforcement and encouragement. There are some children who show little to no interest in certain topics, which at times makes it difficult to motivate them to learn. What would it take to get such children interested in learning? Behaviors that help motivate students are "Hold high but realistic expectations for your students, help students set achievable goals for themselves, tell students what they need to do to succeed in your course, strengthen students' self-motivation, avoid creating intense competition among students and be enthusiastic about your subject"(Tools for Teaching).

Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is when people engage in an activity for their own sake. They participate and show interest because they are doing it for their own personal motives. No one has to tell them what to do or why it is important, they just do. Some theories associated with intrinsic motivation are the self-determination theory, basic needs theory and achievement- goal theory.

The self–determination theory states that social settings promote intrinsic motivation when they satisfy three innate psychological needs: autonomy which is self-determination in getting things done the way you want them done, competence which is your ability to learn and use skills for manipulating and controlling environments and relatedness which is your ability to associate yourself with others (Kelly). Those who fall under this category are those whom teachers label as over achievers. “Motivation to succeed is determined by the strength of one’s overall need for achievement….” (Brophy 56). They often already have set goals that they desire to fulfill or are doing so because their parents have always pushed them from the very beginning.

The basic needs theory elaborates the concept of basic needs and its relation to psychological health and well-being (Wiki). This theory goes hand in hand with the self-determination theory because they both deal with healthy development of a person’s personal or psychological needs. Both theories show how people work to become satisfied about something in their lives. These needs are innate, natural, universal, and essential for the health and well-being of all(Wiki).

Achievement goal theory is concerned with individuals who wish to achieve objectives and who desire to succeed. Accomplishment is important for its own sake and not for rewards that accompany it. With this theory people are driven to complete and accomplish goals.

Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is the use of rewards and punishments in order to push students, as well as other unmotivated people, into becoming self-motivated with the desire to learn and to do things required of them. The use of rewards and punishment can be used for both underachievers and those who are neither and do what is necessary only to pass the class. Privileges can also be used to motivate students.

Using extrinsic motivation is a method to an end. Many teachers believe that using extrinsic motivation will meet their short-term expectations goals sooner. Using rewards, even daily, can meet classroom goals, department of education goals and behavioral goals quicker. The students recognize their performance goals, social and academic, by being able to see the end as a reward. Extrinsic motivation is the most popular form of motivation because more students are visual learners then cognitive learners.

According to published results from a conference held on Hard Work and High Expectations, when students combined inspiration and perspiration, they are rewarded. Students are not lazy or stupid. However, you cannot use education reforms to change students who do not set individual goals for themselves. Education is the means to an end.

Teachers are developing classroom strategies to get students to learn. A school format that balances the rewards for effort with the ability works. Set goals for students who are less talented and reward study and personal accomplishments as well as grades. Effort and ability are each student’s instruments for learning.

Active and Passive Motivation
In general, teachers that practice active-motivational techniques will not ask the students to memorize the lecture material through rigorous note taking and repetition. They are more concerned with giving the class the opportunity to understand concepts on an individual level. A student who is actively motivated will learn material understanding that he or she will be putting it to practical use at sometime after. In a sense it’s learning a lesson through direct experience rather than only understanding it conceptually, which allows a student to develop individual perspectives. Passive motivation is described as more of an extrinsic motivational technique. A teacher who motivates students passively will teach material to the students with the intention of testing them after. It is believed that by doing this, the students will learn the material regardless of their interest in it because it will be necessary to complete the test (Benware).

In a study completed by the American Education Research Journal, active and passive motivational techniques were compared in terms of effectiveness. Students learning actively were expected to tutor other students on the material after they learned it as where students learning passively were expected to take a test. It was found that the students who were anticipating tutoring had a learning rating of 7.72 while those learning passively scored a 7.09. They concluded that active motivation more effectively reaches students on an intrinsic level, making it a more efficient method.

How to Motivate Students
There are many possible ways to motivate students. Most students are excited about learning and wants the teacher to challenge them. Parents can help teachers motivate their children by being an active participant in their child’s education. Attending parent teacher conferences can easily do this or by contacting your child’s teacher to see how your child is doing in school. Parents have to be concerned about their children's welfare as well as education. Parents need to be aware of what their child is doing and learning in each of their classes. The concept of doing well in school and enjoying the experience needs to be put into the child’s mind at an early age. Children need to be taught at an early age how important education is and how important it is to have goals.

Teachers can help motivate students in numerous ways. One way to motivate students is that, just as some teachers feel as if they must control their classrooms, students need to feel that they have some control over their education (Kelly). Teachers can give students control by asking them what the class rules should be or asking them how they thought class went last period, and ask them for ways to make the topic more interesting. Secondly, students need to feel competent (Kelly). They need to be able to relate to the topic or subject in some way. Students need to feel that they are able to grasp and understand the material. Finally, students need to feel connected (Kelly). The classroom should be an environment in which they feel safe and wanted. A student should not be afraid or nervous about going into any classroom. Teachers should be supportive and willing to give students recognition when they do something well.

Students play a large role in whether or not they are motivated. They have to make up their own minds that they wish to learn. Parents and teachers can do the things I mentioned above and more, but unless the student is willing to cooperate there is little anyone can do. Motivating students falls not only on teachers but also very much on the students themselves. We look at the teachers when we also need to look at the students and find out why they have no or little interest in learning and what they do have an interest in. Some children just need more help than others. Students must be willing to cooperate with his or her teacher and parents.

According to Tools for Teaching, "Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they can do well, ensure opportunities for students' success by assigning tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult,help students find personal meaning and value in the material,create an atmosphere that is open and positive and help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community."

Conclusions
Motivating students is a very important topic. Motivating students is a job all by itself unless you have students who are willing to work with you. Involving the students in activities can also help motivate them. I think that any child can be motivated but each party must have open lines of communication. As long as all parties involved feel that they can express their opinions and know that their thoughts are being heard and not falling on deaf ears then that is a huge step in motivating students.

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