Children's Motivation for Reading: Domain Specificity and Instructional Influences - Assignment Example

Wigfield, A., John, T. G., Tonks, S., & Kathleen, C. P. (2004). The Journal of Educational Research, 97(6), 299-309.

According to Wigfield, et al (2004), motivation refers to the reasons affecting, determining, or underlying a given behavior observable in a person. Extrinsic motivation entails learning motivation facilitated by external forces reacting to a student’s performance. Such external forces may be parents, role models, and teachers. Teachers accomplish this form of motivation through rewards, grading, and punishments usually after evaluation.

Research Problem
It is usually the desire of every parent and teacher to see their students performing better in elementary schools. Teachers being the chief trainers and facilitators of knowledge targeted on the students become hurt and demoralized when they see their students performing dismally. Parents also feel bad to realize poor performance by their children considering that they are the ones who pay for school fees and the wellbeing of the students. Similar experiences manifest in governments and employees, as the government is the provider of education services and opportunities and employers rely on the graduates to serve in their organizations. In this regard, it becomes necessary for every stakeholder in the education system to provide some form of motivation in the learning process. In the separation of this responsibility, students should embrace intrinsic motivation as parents, teachers, government and employers offer extrinsic motivation.

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine how intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation can affect the reading and learning habits of elementary school students.

Hypothesis
Intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation are very essential additives and inclusions in the shaping of the reading and learning habits of elementary school students.

Research Methodology
This study administered questionnaires that mainly targeted the elementary students considering that they are the main subjects of study. Elementary students were given the opportunity to post their views concerning the motivational factors that make them learn and read more. The questionnaires also involved the input of teachers who provided statistics concerning the performance of the students and the basis of such performances either in the presence or absence of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Survey techniques also formed part of the research methodology as researchers speculated the performance trends of the students in the sample schools. In doing this, surveyors requested for provision of past examination results and the forms of rewards and punishments given to the individual students.

Study Sample
The researchers compiling this article targeted elementary school students in four schools. The sample was indiscriminate of gender, class, age, language, race, or religion of the learners. The total number of studied students was 5000 with all presenting the questionnaire forms presented to them.

Results
According to this article, the large number of students who performed best in the sample schools had both intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation in force. However, the article notes that intrinsic motivation played the greatest role in shaping students learning and reading habits. Intrinsic motivation encouraged discipline, self-efficacy, and self-trust, which are key ingredients to learning. The extrinsic motivation was very effective only among students who had substantial intrinsic motivation.

Conclusion
The researchers who compiled this article concluded that motivation is important in the positive shape-up of learning and reading habits of elementary school students. Intrinsic motivation defines the basic benchmarks in ensuring good performance in schools. This is because intrinsic motivation does not come by force or due to any external reinforcements as it comes from inside. The researchers also observed that extrinsic motivation can be very effective in circumstances where the typical student has a significant level of intrinsic motivation.

Critique
This article is very informative and reliable considering the immense evidence and clear insights provided on the problem of the study. The survey technique used was particularly suitable to the task and the scope of its application also befitting the purpose of the study. However, the questionnaire technique employed seems impractical as it would be difficult to analyze or go through all the responses provided by the students. In five thousand students, some must have given invalid or null responses to the questions asked.

Salient Quotations
“When individuals are intrinsically motivated, they complete activities for their own sake and out of interest in the activity. Their motivation comes from inside themselves rather than from external sources.”