Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Motivation in Learning

Motivation
Motivation is the driving force behind behaviour, thoughts or actions
...
The goal should be to satisfy a need
...


In a school setting, you can have pupils but whether they learn or not depends on their interests,
their priorities, their attitudes and their values
...
Some theories exist which provide ideas on how teachers can motivate
learners
...
The Behaviouristic Theory – This theory advocates the use of reinforcement, both
positive and negative
...
Negative reinforcement
involves the removal of an aversive/unpleasant stimulus in order to encourage desirable
behaviour
...

2
...
Allow learners the chance to observe the desirable
behaviours you wish them to emulate for example, be a model of hard work, punctuality,
honesty, use words such as please, thank you, etc
...
Let the children also see other children who have displayed
the good behaviour being rewarded
...

3
...


4
...
Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs can
be used to illustrate this
...



Physiological needs come first according to Maslow
...
A hungry child is not likely to
be fully motivated to learn
...




Safety needs – a child who finds the environment unpredictable and therefore
threatening is not likely to be fully motivated to learn

Self Actualization

Prestige

Love and belonging

Safety/security

Physiological

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs



Need to belong – an outcast, a child scorned by others, is not likely to be fully motivated
to learn



Need for self esteem – (to feel worthy and important)
...




Self-actualization – this need arises in only a small proportion of the population
...


Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is motivation brought about by external or outside factors
...

1
...
Threats of force and the use of it often serve as powerful
motivators and if used properly and wisely can instil discipline but the use of force has two
serious limitations:


Even if it succeeds in stopping undesirable behaviour it is likely to create dependence
on external agents than on internal resources
...
He relies on other to direct him
...
He resents the things
he is forced to do
...
Use of incentives – This refers to the use of rewards or promise of rewards for example
promises of trips, books, points, etc
...
The limitation of this method is that it is manipulative
...
Just like in the use of coercion, it causes

dependency
...
In the absence of the reward, the
desired behaviour stops so the motivation is short lived
...
The best way to motivate learners is to bring
them to work or study because they want to do so
...
They will identify with the desired goals if their needs for competence and
achievement are met
...
The teacher assists the learner to avoid failure and fulfil the need
for achievement
...
This enhances the learners self concept
...




The teacher should also help the learners set both short term and long term goals
...




The teacher should also provide learners with immediate feedback
...
A learner who is successful
develops an interest and continues to pursue an activity while a learner who fails loses
interest, avoids getting involved in activities, resorts to absenteeism and completely loses
motivation
...


(a) The affiliative motives and education/How affiliative needs promote learning


Development of character and learning – The child who interacts with parents, teaches
and other children learns the kind of behaviour which will lead to commendation (approval)

or lead to blame or scolding
...
Learning both at home and in school is based on the need to please adults whom
the child likes
...



Levels of aspiration – the levels of aspiration that children set are largely determined by
standards and demands made by the parents and teachers
...
Parents and teachers should use
positive incentives to reward excelling academic performance
...


(b) Prestige motives - These are aimed at enhancing the self-esteem of the individual
...
In our schools prestige motives
underlie the general competitive behaviour
...
In the classroom, children want to answer questions, score high grades and outsmart others
because it is prestigious to outsmart others
...


How to manipulate prestige motives for educational purposes


As incentives – incentives such as rewards, presents, praise, promotions, medals, etc can
be used by the teacher to enhance prestige motives



Rivalry and competition – the teacher can set up competitive activities e
...
between classes
or dormitories
...


Why Learners will Lack Motivation to Learn School Subjects
1
...
What is done in the classroom belongs to the

classroom and has no relevance outside school
...

2
...
These competing interests could be watching TV,
playing, and so on
...
Due to poor self concept – the child may have developed a negative or a poor self image
due to a history of continued frustration caused by failure
...

The Teacher as a Motivator
1
...
Teachers should also make subjects interesting, challenging and satisfying
3
...
R
...
Introduction to Psychology
...
(1996)
...
New York: Harper and Row
Publishers
LeFrancois, G
...
(1994)
...
USA: Wadsworth Publishing
Company
...
(1980)
...
New Jersey: Prentice Hall
...
G
...
Exploring Psychology
...
Santrock, J
...
(2004)
...
USA: McGraw-Hill
...
E
...
Psychology
...




---