Transcript Motivating Students - Misericordia University

Module 4-A
Motivating Students
TED 377
Methods in Sec. Ed.
Module 4-A
Students will explain types of motivation and
behavior management problems presented by
Secondary students, including integrated
students with disabilities.
Reading
• Read the following in the Duplass
textbook:
– Topic 9: “Teacher and Student
Communication”
Topics
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What motivates people?
What motivates students?
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Aspects of motivation.
How to motivate.
Grades as motivation.
Student incentives.
Teacher Observations of the
Middle School
Question
Percent of teachers
responding
affirmatively
Students who are motivated as opposed to somewhat
motivated or not motivated
53%
What percentage of your students have an
assignment missing during a quarter grading period?
50%
What percentage of students receive comments like
“Inattentive in class” on a returned assignment?
30%
Do students who don’t turn in assignments do as well
on test?
91%
said they do not
Do you accept late assignments?
91%
Does a missing assignment affect a grade
substantially
61%
Sources: Copeland, et al, 2001; Dekeyrel, 2000
Middle Grades Teaching Strategies
Used to Motivate Students
Strategy
Cooperative Learning
Create Products as part of a project
Guest Speakers
Hands on experiences on a small scale
Play games for review
Relate to current events
Role Play
Show Videos
Thought –provoking questions
Source: Hootstein, 1995
% of Teachers
Responding
28%
60%
33%
28%
44%
44%
83%
28%
33%
What Motivates People?
• Adults are motivated to seek the “good
life” (self-actualization) by integrating their
intellectual, emotional, physical, and
spiritual aspects.
• For teenagers, finding this equilibrium is
particular difficult because they have
limited life experiences from which to gain
perspective.
What Motivates People?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
What Motivates Students?
• DISCUSSION: What motivates students
to achieve in school?
• Motivation to achieve is based on:
a) A predisposition to achievement.
b) A perception of the value of the task.
c) The probability of success.
Teacher’s Role in Motivation
• Supporting Autonomy: Creating a structure in
which students feel empowered to make
decisions about their learning.
• Being Involved: Personally projecting warmth
and interest.
• Providing Structure: Being well organized and
consistent, and by planning and creating tasks
that require student to reach, but that are not out
of their grasp.
Types of Motivation
• Intrinsic motivation (doing an activity for no
apparent reward other than the activity
itself).
– Intrinsically motivated students compete against
themselves.
• Extrinsic motivation (doing an activity with
an expectation of a reward).
– Extrinsically motivated students compete for
rewards, weighing the value of the task against
their need for an external reward.
Aspects of Motivation
Students tend to work harder to learn
something they want to learn
(intrinsically motivated) rather than
to gain extrinsic rewards.
If you use an extrinsic reward to
motivate students, and then you
remove it, the desired behavior tends
to cease.
Aspects of Motivation
Realize that not all classroom activities
can be intrinsically rewarding.
The promise of a future extrinsic reward
for current behavior may fail (today is
Monday; Friday is far away).
Adding extrinsic rewards to already
motivating activities tends to reduce
student motivation.
How Can You Motivate
Students in Your Classroom?
• Realizing that intrinsic rewards are more
effective in motivating students than
extrinsic, how can you more effectively
motivate students to learn?
• What motivates you to learn?
• What effective techniques have you seen
used by other teachers?
Aspects of Motivation
• Direct rewards (like money from parents
for good grades or bonus points from
teachers) tend to decrease intrinsic
motivation.
• Positive verbal reinforcements tend to
increase intrinsic motivation.
How to Motivate
• Increase intrinsic rewards.
– Reinforce students’ sense of accomplishment.
– Interest students interest/desire to learn a
topic.
– Use positive verbal reinforcements.
• Use extrinsic rewards when needed.
– Example: Use for learning skills, which tend to
be repetitious and boring.
How to Motivate
• If students are already motivated, do not
use extrinsic rewards (may produce
negative effects).
• If student motivation slows, it is better to
add an incentive than to accept poor
performance or using threats and
punishment.
How to Motivate
• When using extrinsic rewards, counteract
the negative effects on intrinsic motivation:
– Make reward contingent on a desired level of
performance (vs. completion of task, which
leads to devaluation of the activity).
– Explain to students the value and importance
(long-term benefit) of gaining the skill.
– Plan activities and use materials that have the
potential to maintain student interest.
Grades
• The most prevalent form of incentive for
students is the grade.
– Good grades are a powerful motivation when
they are perceived to be a direct reflection of
achievement and competence.
Try to tie all student work to
grades.
Grades
• Some teachers feel too much emphasis is
put on grades, and not enough emphasis
on teaching/learning.
– This leaves students with less control over
their fate.
Make the grading criteria reflect
the course’s learning objectives,
and ensure the criteria are clear.
Student Incentives
• Recognition:
– Display student work.
– Award a certificate for achievement,
improvement, or good behavior.
– Class honor roll (names on bulletin board).
– “Student of the Week.”
– Verbally recognize student accomplishment.
• Give public recognition to several students to avoid
embarrassing individual adolescents.
Student Incentives
• Academic activities as motivators:
– Competition (between or within classes).
• Highest overall grades, first to complete project.
– Assignment recycling [mastery learning].
– Extra-credit assignments.
– Student-tracked point system.
• Earn points (assignments, extra credit, good
behavior) over a month or marking period. Goes
into course grade.
Student Incentives
• Individual activities as rewards:
– Working with a friend.
– Free reading time.
– Visit to the library.
– Help to decorate a bulletin board.
Student Incentives
• Class activities as
rewards:
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Watch a video.
Free time (15 minutes).
Play a game.
Listen to music.
No homework.
Popcorn for the class.
Field trip.
Party.
• Suggestions:
– Let the class have a
vote on the activity.
– Activity depends on
whole class behavior.
– Don’t let 1 or 2
students spoil the
activity. Exclude those
students from
participating if you can
find a supervised
place for them.
If recognition will come at the end of the year, explain
these awards up front so students can work toward them.
Student Incentives
• Material rewards for
individual students:
– Food/snacks.
– Old classroom materials.
– Games or toys.
– Books.
Responding to Students
• You need to teach students a skill or have
them memorize prerequisite information.
They complain that the activity is boring.
– What will you say to students in response?
– What will you do?
Class Activity
• Examining incentives and rewards.
– Which of the incentives/rewards would you be
inclined to use and why?
– Which would you not use and why?
– Consider:
• Effects on student attitudes and motivation.
• Behavior in the long and short-run.
• Teacher time and effort required.
– Perform a search for additional ideas (good
and/or bad).
Review:
MODULE 4-A
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What motivates people?
What motivates students?
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Aspects of motivation.
How to motivate.
Grades as motivation.
Student incentives.