Effort
From WikEd
[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
1. Definitions
Some define effort as the "total work done to achieve a particular end". This is the simplest of definitions of such a complex word. Effort is usually associated with motivation. If a student is more motivated to learn or to complete an assignment, they will more likely put in more effort to complete the task at hand. Also when it comes to effort, personal interest comes into play. If a student finds a topic particularily relevant, the more motivated they will be to learn about it, and hence, the amount of effort used will be increased.
2. Three reasons for what motivates students to put in more effort in working
1) Motivation is based on interest: Students work hard when they value what they are learning, that is, when what they are learning is important to them.
2) Motivation is based on Self-efficacy: Students work hard when they percieve themselves as capable of doing well, that is, when they have confidence in their capabilities for a learning task.
3) Motivation is based on attribution: Students work hard when they believe that their efforts will pay off, that is, when they attribute their successes and failures to personal effort.
Effort, along with ability, task difficulty, and luck, are all ways that students attribute their successes or failures. This can be seen more clearly through the Attribution Theory. The Attribution Theory basically gives reasons for the way students feel about their successes and failures, based on the four "causes" listed above. For example, if a student attributes failure to a cause such as ability or task difficulty, the student is likely to give up and to be less persistent when confronted with similar tasks in the future. The student feels that they are not smart enough or that the material is too hard for them. (Mayer, 2002, p. 253). And if a student attributes failure to a cause such as effort or luck, then the student is likely to persist even if failure is a possibilty. They reason that if they try harder, they can do it (Mayer, 2002, p. 254).
1) Four Causes of Success and Failure (According to the Attribution Theory)
When a student attributes a failure to ability they feel as though they are not smart enough, ane when they succeed they feel it is because they are smart.
Effort
When a student attributes a failure to effort they feel it was because they did not try hard enough, and vice versa for when they succeed.
When a student attributes a failure to task difficulty they feel that the task was too hard for them, and when they have a success they feel the material was too easy.
When a student attributes luck to a failure or success they feel as though they have either good luck or bad luck at that particular time.
2) Summary
So students who have effort as an attribution tend to work harder at school, as well as with external activities. They attribute their success or failure to how much effort they put into that particular activity. If they succeed, they feel that it is because they tried extremely hard and put in the effort to do well. And if they do not succeed, it is because they did not try hard enough, and lacked in effort.
4. Locus of Control (retrieved April 26th, 2005, from Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence)
If a child with an internal locus of control does badly on a test, she is likely to blame either her own lack of ability or preparation for the test. By comparison, a child with an external locus of control will tend to explain a low grade by saying that the test was too hard or that the teacher graded unfairly.
The concept of locus of control was developed by psychologist Julian Rotter, who devised the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E) to assess this dimension of personality. Studies have found that this test is a valid predictor of behavior typically associated with locus of control.
Links have been found between locus of control and behavior patterns in a number of different areas. Adults and children with an internal locus of control are inclined to take responsibility for their actions, are not easily influenced by the opinions of others, and tend to do better at tasks when they can work at their own pace. By comparison, people with an external locus of control tend to blame outside circumstances for their mistakes and credit their successes to luck rather than to their own efforts. Some researchers have claimed that "internals" tend to be more intelligent and more success-oriented than "externals." Children with an external locus of control are likely to make less of an effort to exert self-control in the present because they doubt their ability to influence events in the future.
Although people can be classified comparatively as "internals" or "externals," chronological development within each individual generally proceeds in the direction of an internal locus control. As infants and children grow older they feel increasingly competent to control events in their lives. Consequently, they move from being more externally focused to a more internal locus.
- Go Locus of Control Web Survey to check your locus of control.
[edit] Application in Classrooms and Similar Settings
Fifteen Motivational Techniques in Classroom Teaching (Gage and Berliner, 1992, pp. 367-378)
1. Begin the lesson by giving students a reason to be motivated.
2. Tell students exactly what you want accomplished
3. Have students set short-term goals.
4. Use spoken and written praise.
5. Use tests and grades judiciously.
6. Capitalize on the arousal value of suspense, discovery, curiosity, exploration, control, and fantasy.
7. Occasionally do the unexpected.
8. Whet the appetite.
9. Use familiar material for examples.
10. Use unique and unexpected contexts when applying concepts and principles.
11. Make students use what they have previously learned.
12. Use simulations and games.
13. Minimize the attractiveness of competing motivational systems.
14. Minimize any unpleasant consequences of student involvement.
15. Understand the social climate of the school.
[edit] Evidence of effectiveness
(Retrieved and excerpted April 26th, 2005, from an Education World E-Interview with Carol Dweck)
How Can Teachers Develop Students' Motivation -- and Success?
Dweck: In these studies, later grade school students worked on a task, succeeded nicely on the first set of problems, and received praise. Some received praise for their intelligence, and others received praise for their effort. It turned out that praising students' intelligence, even after truly admirable performance, made them feel good in the short run, but it had many, many negative effects. In contrast, praising students' effort had many positive effects.
First, when students were praised for their intelligence, they became so invested in looking smart that they became afraid of challenge. When students were praised for their effort, 90 percent of them wanted the challenging learning opportunity.
Second, when students then experienced a second, difficult set of problems, those who had been praised for their intelligence now told us they felt dumb. In contrast, the students who had been praised for their effort saw the setback not as a condemnation of their intellect, but as simply a signal for more effort. They realized that a harder task means harder work.
Third, the students who were praised for their intelligence told us that they no longer enjoyed the task, and no longer wished to take problems home to practice. A feeling of failure made them turn away from a chance to practice their skills and improve. In contrast, the ones who were praised for their effort enjoyed the task just as much as before and were just as eager to take problems home to practice. In fact, some of them liked the task even better when it got hard and were more determined to master it.
Fourth, we gave the students a third set of problems, similar to the first set (the one on which they had succeeded). The students who were praised for their intelligence now did significantly worse than they had initially, whereas the students who were praised for their effort did significantly better than they had done before.
And finally, when given a chance to write to a student in another school about the task, 40 percent of the students who received intelligence praise lied about their score. They revised it upward. Very few effort-praised students did so.
Effort praise seemed to give students a more hardy sense of themselves as learners, a more healthy desire for challenge, and the skills to cope effectively with setbacks. We should praise the process (the effort, the strategies, the ideas, what went into the work), not the person.
[edit] Critics and their rationale
[edit] Alternative explanations due to diversity considerations
Effort, on the other hand, is not solely directed toward students. Effort is also based on the amount of work accomplished during a particular event whether the effort is brought on my motivation or not. Teachers also need to make an effort to best accomodate all students in the classroom.
"To what do teachers attribute their success and failure? Commenting on students' test performance, teachers often attribute student success to the students’ home conditions, effort, and interest, and their own excellent teaching skills. But when students fail, teachers blame the students’ preparation, ability, poor home conditions, and the difficulty of the test (Bar-Tal, 1979). In other words, teachers tend to share credit with students for success on a test but to blame failure on external (nonteacher) causes." (Gage and Berliner, 1992, pp. 340-341)
[edit] Signed "life experiences," testimonies and stories
One way that I have improved effort in my classroom is to spend a lot of time allowing students to share their work with classmates. If they know that they are going to be sharing the work with the peers, they are usually motivated to put some extra effort into it. It is one thing when they think just the teacher is going to be exposed to what they have done, but quite another when they know their friends are as well. The kids enjoy learning and watching others share their work and learn from these experiences as much they can learn from me. --Annie Craig, 2nd Grade Teacher
I would say that effort is the most important thing I look for in the classroom. I think a lot of that comes from my coaching and sport background. I always stress to my athletes that they have to try their hardest at all times. I try to relate that to the classroom by using examples of effort from sports. I think to often students get to caught up with grades one way or the other. I often have students on projects fill out a sheet explaining what they did and how they did it. It gives them the opportunity to look back to see how hard or how much work they actually put into it. I also think you have to work to get students interested and excited about what you are doing. The more interest your students have the more effort you will get out of them.
I have found that using self-attribution as a motivation for student effort is very easy in the choral or instrumental classroom. It is quite obvious, in a band, which students are putting forth effort in their music and which are not. The quality of sound that is produced from the individual instruments and sections is a direct result of how much effort (or practice) has been done. In fact, using self-attribution is essential to my music classroom because I need for my students to be able to critically listen to their performance, and be able to increase their effort if the performance is not up to the standard.
Elizabeth Giger
Effort is an attribute that is very important in the art classroom. Not all students are Michelangelos or da Vincis. When it comes down to grading and assessment, it is important to look at the amount of effort students are putting into their projects. If a student puts little to no effort, whether they have talent or not, I will not feel comfortable giving them an A on a project. And for the other way around, if a student keeps trying and really gives it their best to complete an assignment but their proportion is a little off, or the details are not as sharp, I know that they still put in a great amount of effort. At the high school level, it may be helpful to have students fill out personal assessment sheets when finishing a project. This way students can give themselves a grade based on their effort and execution, which may assist you when figuring out their final grade for each project.
Jessica Arnold
If at the beginning of the school year the teacher lays out the classroom expectations and discusses how giving 100% is important, I think students tend to rise to this expectation.
The same occurs when I coach volleyball. I won’t settle for less than 100%. I model this through my coaching and teaching. What I say is what I mean. So does this mean one will never slip? In my undergrad work, my freshman year, I ended up getting a D on my report card. In high school I had never earned even a C, so I was so unhappy and upset. I immediately called my parents and they asked me, "Did you do everything in your power to do the best job possible?" When I told them yes, they assured me that it was okay and were not mad at me. I told them the truth and tried my hardest.
Effort is, according to "The Brainy Dictionary", An exertion of strength or power, whether physical or mental, in performing an act or aiming at an object; more or less strenuous endeavor; struggle directed to the accomplishment of an object; as, an effort to scale a wall. I really like the "scaling the wall" analogy for academic effort. Everyone seems to have their own definition of what effort is, based on the standards we place on ourselves as well as the standards we allow people to place on us.
Kathryn Milner
In one of my graduate classes, I have a classmate who is from China. It has been amazing to me to hear her talk, because she is always speaking about the effort of students, and almost never speaks about ability. I believe this difference in belief about the possibility of academic achievement within the reach of all student, if they will try, is an important distinction to make and understand. This is an area where I believe teachers have to go against the grain if they are to successfully motivate and assist their students. --Ecox2 21:47, 20 Apr 2005 (CDT)
Survey on Student Effort This study looks at how frequently students engage in a number of activities important to their learning and success
I have found myself liking and even favoring those students who work harder and put effort in than those who have the talent but do not work at it. To me, if you have the talent, you should be working even harder and trying to be the best rather than just doing what is necessary to be ahead of the others. If the student who is trying really hard but not succeeding as high as the one with talent, I still prefer the one who is working really hard. This shows that they have good character and a drive to succeed. I like to see this in my students. -Jeremiah Kramper-
I am a teacher and coach. Effort is the most important thing I like for in a student or athlete. The people that achieve the most are the people who have ability and combine this with great effort. This combination does not happen very often, so you have to love the average person who makes oneself a good student or good athlete because of the passion they put into an activity. A student/athlete with these characteristics will have the respect of everybody involved. Bret Helms Bureau Valley School District
I would really like to know how to develop all three modes for effort in students. Can they be developed or contributed to from an external locus? How do you really help some one improve their self efficacy? B McArthur
I teach at an Alternative School and we use an effort grade system. The students receive an effort grade for every class that they attend. They are told at the begining of each class what they need to do to get a 3 for effort. The effort grades are 3- for excellent effort with all work completed and exceeding the teachers expectations, 2- for meeting the teachers expectations and completing all work, 1- some work completed, 0- no work completed. A student who is working the entire class, but just runs out of time has the ability to still earn a 3. They are not penalized for being slower than their peers. The effort grades are averaged in the grade book like regular grades and if the student is able to keep a 3.0 for the entire semester their grade is raised 2 letter grades. If their effort is a 2.7 or higher their grade is raised 1 letter grade. If they can maintain a least a 2.0 then they are guaranteed not to fail. An effort grade below a 2.0 and their letter grade is lowered 1 letter grade.
The effort grade motivates students who have had a lack of success at their home schools. It seems some students are used to being failures and can be motivated by good grades. For the students who buy into the effort grade they become good students and it improves their classroom behavior. Students academic grades improve because they are completing more work than they would have if they didn't have an effort grade. Students who return successfully to their home schools tend to be more successful academically.
R Folkens
There is an interesting dynamic with some of the honors students in my school. They know they're smart--they've been told so for many years. Some put just minimal effort into their assignments, as if being smart is good enough. They are afraid of challenge. What if they fail? The secret will be out that they are not as smart as people think they are. I try to encourage effort and failure, because without effort we don't fail, and without failure we don't learn. In my experience, telling students they are smart actually shuts them down. T. Stilts
[edit] References and other links of interest
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Gage, N. L. and Berliner, D. C. (1992). Educational Psychology (5th Ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company.
Mayer, Richard E. The Promise of Educational Psychology Volume II: Teaching for Meaningful Learning. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2002.
AN EDUCATION WORLD E-INTERVIEW WITH CAROL DWECK, retrieved April 26th, 2005, from, http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr197.shtml
Locus of Control, Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence, retrieved April 26th, 2005, from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2602/is_0003/ai_2602000356
