Intrinsic Motivation In Students example essay topic

Essay Topic (Unit 10 - Question #3) How would you as a teacher encourage intrinsic motivation in students? Intrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation can be defined as "motivation associated with activities that are their own reward" (Perry 2003). It is motivation that stems from your inner feelings and views which feed your desires to accomplish and perform. Oppositely, extrinsic motivation is "motivation created by external factors such as rewards and punishments" (Perry 2003).

When you are extrinsically motivated, you are only performing the task for what you will gain from completion. On the other hand, when we are intrinsically motivated, there is no requirement for external rewards or punishments because the activity is a reward in itself. It is a benefit for students to be intrinsically motivated in the classroom because they are leaning for knowledge and not just for marks or grades. Most students are naturally extrinsically motivated at school by things such as grades and their future career. In a perfect world we "want students to be motivated also by the love of learning, knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and positive feelings about themselves" (McKinney). One way of intrinsically motivating students is to "foster student autonomy" (Specific Classroom Management Methods).

Students are more motivated to do things they enjoy than things they do not enjoy. By giving students options and choices, they are feeling in control more than when they are boxed in to the instructions they are normally given. Something as simple as letting the child decide what order they want to do a series of tasks in could make a large difference. One way of fostering independence could be done by giving students a choice from a selection of different books to read. When studying a particular subject, let the students choose what kind of project they would like to do (report, presentation or model). If there are multiple ways of doing something, show the students the different methods so that they can explore and figure out which one works best for them.

As a teacher, "Help students understand how they learn most effectively" (McKinney). Have students keep a journal where they can write down what they " ve learned from completing assignments. Minimizing pressure is also and important aspect of fostering autonomy. An interesting approach to learning which can be fun is "The Jigsaw method [which] is effective for eliminating competition" (Specific Classroom Management Methods).

This is a method where you split the class into learning groups to learn about a particular aspect of a general topic. Once the children master their aspect, the groups get shuffled up so that there is a master from each aspect to teach the others in the group they have been assigned to. Everyone's knowledge is compiled together to gain a full understanding of the general topic. This also shows the students that they can learn from their peers and use them as resources. Another way of minimizing pressure is to put less emphasis on grades. One way of doing this could be to create a folder for each student where they will put what they see as being their best work.

When going through their folder, "Focus on progress and demonstrated learning in their work" (Specific Classroom Management Methods). Show the student how much they have improved with time. A second way to intrinsically motivate students is to "understand the children" (Specific Classroom Management Methods). Originality and creativity should be encouraged in all students. Make a point to give students opportunities to express themselves in different ways.

Each child is unique and self-expression is a great way to learn about each and every student. When starting the year, "Knowing what background your students bring to class and starting the course at an appropriate level can increase a students success and... positive feelings they have about your subject matter" (McKinney). Students each have their own goals and you must learn what these goals are in order to support them in their means of getting there. It is important to provide individual feedback for each student so that they know how they are doing. It is important that you "Work with each child to understand their expectations for success.

Do not hold the same criteria for each child" (Specific Classroom Management Methods). You must make a criterion for success and show them how to attain it. Each student will have different interests and it is important to sit back and watch sometimes when children have free time. Lessons need to be stimulating for the students to be interested so it helps if you know what their interests are.

A third way to intrinsically motivate students is to "engage curriculum" (Specific Classroom Management Methods). You can do this by creating meaningful lessons. Involve the students as much as possible. When teaching about plants have the child plant a seed and watch it grown instead of making them circle pictures in a book about plants. Hands-on activities involve the child in situational learning. Kohl explains it well "In a context of a task that matters to students, the specific skills we care about can be taught naturally without sugarcoating, without games, and above all without offering kids little doggie biscuits for doing what we tell them" (Specific Classroom Management Methods).

The internal motivation for learning will take over the need to gain something externally. Lastly, a fourth way to intrinsically motivate students is by "creating community" (Specific Classroom Management Methods). One way of doing this is to develop a set of class rules together. This involves them with the values the class will hold and will also make the students feel more liable for their actions, encouraging self-respect and self-reliance which are both important qualities people should hold to themselves. Incorporate into these rules, should be rituals. They are "the symbolic acts that represent the classroom's functioning as a community" (Specific Classroom Management Methods).

Rituals give the students something they can anticipate. In the community, there should also be celebrating. Celebrating contributes to a sense of belonging because it incorporates the joys and achievements of others into our own lives. The community should also involve the use of positive feedback. This is a way in which the teacher can use constructive criticism to help students improve their work.

It also enables the teacher to acknowledge work that has been done well. On the other hand, self-evaluation should be encouraged by asking the child how they think they did. This takes the child away from searching for the external motivation of your praise. It will instead lead them to want to do well for themselves, not just for their teacher. Intrinsic motivation can be increased to fabricate the life-long learners educators wish for and society needs. Teaching children to look for internal motivation is not an easy task and cannot be mastered by one teacher alone.

All teachers need to make it their main focus for students to make it their primary motivator.

Bibliography

McKinney, Kathleen. Encouraging Students' Intrinsic Motivation. Illinois State University. web N., Wine P., Wool folk A., Educational Psychology. Pearson Education Canada Incorporated: Toronto, Ontario 2003. Specific Classroom Management Methods. web Folder / specific. htm.