MOTIVATION

Ed 7-Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching

Lesson 6 - Motivation
Introduction:
Motivation is a complex phenomenon.
Several theories and view try to explain
motivation. As future teachers, it is
important for you to be theoretically
grounded on the subject matter of
motivation. This will enable you to develop
and apply necessary strategies and
techniques to develop students’ motivation
to learn to achieve and sustain their goals.
Why is motivation important?
Motivation is important to an individual as:
Motivation will help him achieve his
personal goals. If an individual is motivated, he
will have job satisfaction. Motivation will help
in self-development of individual. An individual
would always gain by working with a dynamic
team.
What is motivation?
Motivation is defined as an internal state that
arouses and directs, and maintains
behavior(Wolfolk,2013: Omrod,2015. Defines
motivation as something that energizes,
directs, and sustains behavior: it gets student
moving,points them in particular direction,
and keeps them going. Motivation represents a
“force” or “energy” that makes one move or
behave toward a goal and sustain it. It is thus
important to consider students’ motivation as
factor to learning.
Motivation is the word derived from the
word 'motive' which means needs, desires,
wants or drives within the individuals. It is
the process of stimulating people to actions
to accomplish the goals. In the work goal
context the psychological factors stimulating
the people's behavior can be - desire for
money success.
Nature of Problems in Motivation
Motivation facilitates meaningful
student learning. It is expected that in a class,
the students have differing levels of
motivation. Some are highly motivated to
learn while others are not. The latter case
presents more of a concern to the teacher. If
some students are not motivated to learn,
there must exist problems that explain why is
this so.
Woolfolk (2013) suggests problems in the five areas
of motivation:
a. choices
b. getting started
c. intensity
d. persistence
e. thoughts and feelings
The situations also show different
motivational challenges, and teachers should be
able to know what these challenges are, so they
can determine how to motivate these students to
learn.
Steps the teacher can do to identify and understand
problems in motivation.
1. Do careful and systematic observation of student’s
behavior.
2. Observe student’s emotional expressions and
behavior.
3. Supplement observations with strategies.
4. Some students may not be comfortable with face to
face encounter, the teacher must develop and
administer questionnaires to students to write
responses as regards problems in motivation.
Perspectives of Motivation
1. Trait Perspective
Motivation is an enduring personality
characteristics which people have in differing
amounts., some have it to the greater extent,
and some have to a lesser extent. An example
trait for an achievement is achievement
motivation. It is a need to pursue excellence
for its own sake without the regard of external
rewards.
2. Behaviorist Perspective
People behave to obtain reinforcing
outcomes to avoid punishment. Students
must study hard if the teacher praises them
for their efforts. They might misbehave in
class only to get the attention of the teacher.
This is the drive reduction theory. Theorist
recognizes that the consequences for
behavior can certainly affect students’
motivation to exhibit these behaviors.
3. The Social Cognitive Process
This places heavy emphasis on goals of
people to strive for, as seen in the choices
they make and the behavior they showed.
Reinforcement and punishment that follow
certain behaviors affect peoples’ expectations
of the consequences of their future
behaviors.
4. Cognitive perspective
This focuses on how mental processes.
Affect motivation to motivate students,
teachers should capitalize on the curiosity
of the students, by presenting challenging
or even inconsistent and puzzling situations
Factors that drive one to achieve a goal
1. Drives- satisfying physiological state like
hunger
2. Basic desires- having the desire to be
accepted and recognized
3. Incentives- expected rewards after achieving
a goal
4. Fears- the fear of censure and criticism
5. Goal- an important goal for the individual to
achieve
6. Social Pressure- the pressure from family or
social circle
7. Self confidence- desiring bigger amount of
confidence
8. Interests- high interest in meeting a goal
9. Curiosity- being curious about expected
outcomes
Two Main Categories of Motivation
1. Intrinsic Motivation. Intrinsic motivation is a
type of motivation in which an individual is
being motivated by internal desires. ...
2. Extrinsic Motivation. Extrinsic motivation, on
the other hand, is a type of motivation in
which an individual is being motivated by
external desires.
 Approaches to Motivation
1. The Stick or Authoritarian approach
This approach represents the oldest or classical
view which compels performance through threats of
penalties for failure. The industrialist was a dictator. He
believed that might is right. With stick in hand the
manager controls his subordinates.
This was in vogue in the days of slavery. There are
instances of slaves put to death for not doing what they
were told to do.
During these period workers were completely
under the thumb of their masters, subject to arbitrary
overtime, arbitrary punishment, arbitrary fines and
arbitrary dismissal.
2. The Carrot or Paternalistic approach
This approach suggests that employees should be
treated in a fatherly way as if the business organization is
a family and they are its dependent members. The
employees are given rewards unconditionally.
There is only carrot and no stick. The employers
think that because of these rewards the employees will
remain loyal and grateful and work hard,
This approach does not motivate the workers.
Ordinary workers do not have that sense of gratitude
which the paternalist manager expects from them. So
unconditional rewards will be just absorbed by them
without any reciprocities behavior.
3. The Carrot and Stick or Exchange approach
This combined approach suggests that with the
stick in one hand, the manager will extract work against
the threat of penalty and with the carrot in another; he
will induce the worker to work harder in the hope of good
rewards.
The carrot and a stick approach is essentially a
penalty-reward approach. If the worker produces more,
he is given a bonus and if he produces less, he is
penalized.
The carrot approach provides for unconditional
rewards, whereas the carrot and stick approach provides
for both rewards and penalties which are linked directly to
the level of performance.
Theories on Relationship between Need and
Motivation
1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Abraham Maslow postulated that a person will
be motivated when his needs are fulfilled. The need
starts from the lowest level basic needs and keeps
moving up as a lower level need is fulfilled. Below is
the hierarchy of needs:
Physiological: Physical survival necessities such as
food, water, and shelter.
Safety: Protection from threats, deprivation, and
other dangers.
Social (belongingness and love): The need for
association, affiliation, friendship, and so on.
Self-esteem: The need for respect and
recognition.
Self-actualization: The opportunity for
personal development, learning, and
fun/creative/challenging work. Self-
actualization is the highest level need to
which a human being can aspire.
google.com/search?q=maslow%27s+hierarchy+of+needs&oq=maslows
Self Determination
Self- determination theory espouses we
need to be competent and capable in our
interactions with others, have choices, and
sense of control over our lives and to belong
to a social group.
Need for autonomy is central to self-
determination for people strive to have
authority in their lives and be in control and in
charge of their own behavior.
Problems in motivation of students

Students are de-motivated by the structure

and allocation of rewards. Students do not
perceive the classroom climate as
supportive. Students have other priorities
that compete for their time and attention.
Individual students may suffer from physical,
mental, or other personal problems that
affect motivation.
Students lack interest or motivation
Students see little value in the course or its content.
Students do not believe that their efforts will improve
their performance.
Students are demotivated by the structure and allocation
of rewards.
Students do not perceive the classroom climate as
supportive.
Students have other priorities that compete for their time
and attention.
Individual students may suffer from physical, mental, or
other personal problems that affect motivation
Activity # 6
Fill out the information asked and relate it to motivation.
(Example:)
Concept What I Read What I Learned How will I apply in
the classroom
Maslow’s The needs of To achieve self- Make sure that
Heirarchy of people are in a actualization, the the students’
Needs hierarchy basic physiological physiological
needs should be needs are being
first addressed. addressed.
However, some Classroom
people can atmosphere
achieve the higher should be such
goals, even that pupils are
without satisfying made to feel
the basic needs. accepted.
Concept What I Read What I Learned How will I apply in
the classroom
The cognitive
perspective of
motivation

Rewards and
incentives

Self Determination

Motivation

Socio-cultural
approach
 Assessment: (x2 =10 points)

Direction. Read each statement carefully. Select the

letter of the best answer.
1. Intrinsic motivation is similar to:
a. Wanting to learn even without pressure from parents
b. Wanting to learn because of pushing from parents
c. Wanting to learn because there are expected rewards
d. Wanting to learn because of negative consequences
2. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provides the following
concepts except one. What is that exception?
a. The ultimate aim which the individual aims to satisfy
is self -actualization.
s. Social needs have to go with friendship, love
relationships, and participation in social activities.
c. All individuals achieve self- actualization anytime in
their lives.
d. In some cases, individual satisfy their higher level
needs even without satisfying their physiological and
lower level needs.
3. What problem in motivation is illustrated in the
following?
Situation: Marie’s mother is a pianist. She attends
piano lesson, because she does not want to be
compared to her mother.
a. Choices
b. Getting started
c. Intensity
d. Thoughts and feelings
4. Which statement does not characterize
motivational technique for students to achieve?
a. The teacher should be a model for learning.
b. The teacher should use engaging teaching methods.
c. Only one teaching method for all types of students
be used.
d. Student effort should be rewarded.
5. One of the research findings about motivation is:
a. Motivation level does not improve performance.
b. There is no difference in motivation among students
with and without goals.
c. Students with clear and unclear goals are the same
in academic performance.
d. Students with specific and difficult goals perform
better than those who set general and easy goals.