CHAPTER 10: Motivating Students to Learn Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice Edition 11 Robert E. Slavin © (2015, 2012, 2009) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Organizing Questions What Is Motivation? What Are Some Theories of Motivation? How Can Achievement Motivation Be Enhanced? How Can Teachers Increase Students’ Motivation to Learn?

Motivation An internal process which activates, guides, and maintains behavior over time: Intensity and direction vary. Sources of motivation: Personality characteristic. Intrinsic characteristics of a task. Sources extrinsic to a task.

Motivation and Behavioral Learning Theory Rewards and Reinforcement Inadequate to Explain Human Motivation. Human Motivation is Highly Complex and Context-Bound. Potential Reinforcers Determined by Personal/Situational Factors. In Classrooms—it is difficult to determine what motivation elicited a behavior

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Maslow’s needs Deficiency Needs: Critical to Physical and Psychological Well-Being Once Satisfied—the Need to Satisfy Them Diminishes Growth Needs: Need to Understand and Appreciate the World Around Us. Never Can Be Satisfied—Some Want More Self-Actualization: Desire to Become Everything ONE is Capable of Becoming.

Motivation and attribution theory Attribution Theory: deals with the ways people explain success and failure. Characteristics for Explanations for Success/ Failure: Internal (within the Person) or External Stable or Unstable Controllable or uncontrollable

Attributions for success and failure Ability—stable and internal Effort—can be altered and internal Task Difficulty—stable and external Luck—unstable and uncontrollable

Locus of control and self-efficacy Locus (location) of control — source of success or failure Internal Locus of Control—Person Responsible for Success/Failure. High Internal Locus of Control Results in School Success. External Locus of Control—Luck, task difficulty, or other people’s actions. Low Self-Efficacy Results in Limited School Success.

Motivation and self-regulated learning Self-Regulated Learning is Closely Related to Students’ Goals. Highly Motivated Students : Plan Their Learning. Carry the Plan Out. Retain the Information. Source of Student Motivation: Social Modeling. Goal Setting. Feedback. Teacher Development of Engagement and Investment in Learning Leads to Self-Regulated Learning.

Motivation and expectancy theory People’s Motivation to Achieve Something Depends on the Product of their Estimation of their Chance of Success. Atkinson Developed Expectancy –Valence Model: Motivation (M) = Perceived Probability of Success (Ps) x Incentive Value of Success (Is). Students Belief in ONESELF + Value Academic Success = Success.

Motivation and achievement Achievement Motivation—Strive for Success and Select Success/Failure Activities. In the Early Years of Education, Achievement Motivation is Affected by Family Experience. In the Upper Grades, Success and Motivation Cause Each Other—nothing succeeds like success.

Motivation and goal orientation 1. Learning Oriented Students: motivated by desire for knowledge acquisition and self-improvement. Characteristic of Self-Regulated Learners. Intrinsic/ Non-Competitive/Knowledge for Itself. Resilient. 2. Performance Oriented Students: motivated by desire to gain recognition from others and earn good grades—can be discouraged. Focus on Getting Good Grades. Taking Easy Courses. Avoid Challenges.

Teacher Expectations and Achievement Students Live Up/Down to Teacher Expectations. Communicate Positive Expectations. Utilize Wait Time—communicates High Expectations. Keep Assessment/Test Results Private. Guard Against Bias—treat all Students Equally.

Anxiety and achievement Anxiety: a constant companion of education. Source: Fear of Failure + Loss of Self-Esteem. Effects of Anxiety on Students: Difficulty in Learning. Difficulty in Transferring Knowledge. Self-Conscious in Performance Settings. Might Develop Math Anxiety.

Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic Incentives: something people enjoy and therefore find motivating and fulfilling. Future Time Perspective: completing things now might bring benefit in the future—can delay the reward. Students with intrinsic motivation want to learn without immediate incentives. Extrinsic Incentives: reward is external to the activity Necessary when material is not intrinsically interesting (grades, praise, or other rewards). Teachers should be realistic and try to make learning intrinsically satisfying, but should not refrain from using extrinsic awards when needed.

Impact of rewards on motivation Avoid promising extrinsic rewards for activities that are already intrinsically interesting. Intrinsic motivation generally declines from early elementary school through secondary school. Rewards should be contingent on the quality of performance rather than on the participation in an activity. Strategic use of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is necessary in most learning situations.

Principles for Providing Extrinsic Incentives to Learn Express clear expectations: students should know explicitly what is expected of them Provide frequent, immediate and clear feedback (specific praise, quizzes, asking questions, etc.) Increase the value and availability of extrinsic motivators; reward and emphasize effort and progress/ improvement over time—portfolios. Teach students to praise themselves—pat themselves on the back.

Using praise effectively Purpose of praise: Reinforce appropriate behavior Provide feedback to students on what they are doing RIGHT. Praise is effective when it is: Contingent. Specific. Credible. Neither too Easy nor too Difficult to Obtain.