Intrinsic Motivation
From WikEd
Contents |
Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
Why do some students, when facing challenges, work hard to complete their task fully, while others give up and quit? Why do some students develop a more persistent work ethic and others don’t? What drives students to learn? What is their motivation?
Motivation is defined as the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior (On-line Medical Dictionary).
Wikipedia describes motivation as referring to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior.
In Learning and Instruction, Mayer defines motivation with four components:
- Motivation is personal. It occurs within the student.
- Motivation is directed. It is aimed at accomplishing some goal.
- Motivation is activating. It instigates action.
- Motivation is energizing. It provides for persistence and intensity.
Motivation occurring within the student is also known as intrinsic motivation, where the learner’s drive comes from within.
Motivation that is imposed on the learner from the outside through external rewards and punishments is known as extrinsic motivation.
Application in classrooms
Imagine that you are observing an elementary teacher in a public school setting. Your assignment is to identify students that exhibit intrinsically motivated behavior. What characteristics do you observe? Which behaviors indicate that a particular student is motivated intrinsically? A study conducted at the University of Texas-Brownsville reveals that intrinsically motivated students are most often characterized as “teacher-pleasers” or students that conform to teacher expectations (Lashaway-Bokina, 2000). This generalization is found to be narrow and limiting. Research has expanded the scope to include: students who accept challenges willingly, show persistence in difficult tasks, exhibit curiosity, remain task-committed, and reflect satisfaction with their efforts regardless of the views’ of others. Raffini continues the expansion to include intrinsically motivated students seek autonomy, self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and stimulation (1996). Lashaway-Bokina warns that students who are highly active, inquisitive, and creative should not be overlooked; they should be recognized and nurtured. She believes that “a classroom teachers’ ability to recognize and nurture intrinsic motivation becomes a crucial factor in fostering self-esteem and in promoting enrichment” (2000).
Factors that encourage Intrinstic Motivation
Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations
It is interesting that conforming behaviors and perfectionism are traits most often associated with female students. These traits are often prized in public school classrooms. In contrast, traits such as highly active or inquisitive are associated with male students. These traits can be distracting in a classroom environment and leads therefore, to punishment.
Signed “life experiences”, testimonies and stories
Whatever happened to pride being a natural motivator. Intrinsic motivation dosen't seem to be very common anymore. A lot of students nowadays will only do things for rewards. It is rather sad that students don't have the desire to accomplish tasks to receive the pleasure of achievement. When I was a student, I never asked anyone what I was going to get for doing something. I was always feeling successful when I completed the tasks. I do hope someday that we can get kids to become more appreciative of what they can do and feel good about themselves rather than feeling good about receiving some reward. (Robert Hayes, 2008)
I have often taught students that remind me of myself, “when I was ___ age.” As a music student, I prepared for my weekly piano lessons, practiced what my band director assigned, and always had a pencil ready to mark my music. Now that I teach band, these “mini-me” students are easy to relate with and easy to encourage. I realize I am guilty of recognizing quietly efficient, independent, or quick students as intrinsically motivated and ignoring persistant, curious, or highly active students. In order to reach as many students as possible, I need to look outside of myself and nurture the abilities within the four walls of my classroom. -S.Scott
Fostering intrinsic motivation in young children is so important. In a world of so many external rewards some students do not respond or will not work unless there is something “in it” for them. So what is the best way to get kids to want to want something? I have often worked with my own children at home with this concept and the best way to teach them is lead by example. If my children see that I have goals and I work hard to attain them, then they will follow. S. Nottoli
References and other links of interest
Factors that encourage Intrinsic Motivation [website]. Retrieved on July 6, 2006, from http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~jimbo/RIBARY_Folder/factors.htm
Gottfried, A. E. & Gottfried, A. W. (1996). A longitudinal study of academic intrinsic motivation in intellectually gifted children: Childhood through early adolescence. Gifted Child Quarterly, 40 (4), 179-182.
Lashaway-Bokina, N. (2000). Recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation: A cautionary tale. Roeper Review, 22, 4. Retrieved July 6, 2006, from Academic Search Premier database.
Mayer, R. E. (2003). Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
On-line Medical Dictionary. (1997-1998). Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB. Retrieved on July 6, 2006, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motivation
Raffini, J.P. (1996). 150 ways to increase intrinsic motivation in the classroom. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 6, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation
