Motivational Strategies To Improve Learning - Research Paper Example

Motivational Strategies To Improve Learning Introduction It is an irrefutable fact that motivation has a powerful and undeniable impact on the performance of any student. When parents enroll their children in secondary schools, they expect and desire that these children shall be able to acquire knowledge and skills and that they shall be able to develop desirable characters and virtues. Undeniably, these roles are expected to be fulfilled through their teachers. However, one of the many factors that hinder students from succeeding and achieving what is expected of them is the lack of motivation (Weri, 2013). Motivation in secondary school learners has been termed as one of the factors that define how successful one shall be in their life after, especially in their career fields. However, records indicate that of all issues and problems that have bothered many teachers overtime, motivation remains the most puzzling (Theobald, 2005). Teachers agree that motivation is imperative in any student, but “generating” it has remained the hardest task for the teachers. As a result, behavioral and cognitive psychologists have carried out colossal research in a bid to establish the strategies that teachers can use to successfully motivate their students. Educational psychology, which can be defined as the keen study and analysis of how human beings learn, forms the base of the researches and studies that these psychologists carry out (Krause et al, 2013). This work embarks on identifying the various strategies that teachers can adopt to successfully motivate their students. The strategies shall be backed up by psychological education theories to further explain how they work. To begin with, what is motivation? It can be defined as the internal aspiration in a person to not just succeed but also the ability to take the steps to engage in activities that will lead to the desired success (Salvin, 2003). It has been said that one characteristic of the people with high levels of motivation is the that they have a kind of energy that is generated from within them, which overflows and has in it power, dynamism and immense knowledge of what one wants, and the direction they have to take to get what they want (Benson, 20080. Motivation can be in two forms, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Uyulgan and Akkuzu, 2014). Intrinsic motivation is the motivation that is generated y the desire to conquer, or the success in overcoming challenges. Some people call it the “good motivation”. Intrinsic motivation is usually reward based (short term) but in the long run, one is always motivated by the enjoyment that performing that task brings (Selda, 2012). On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is generated from the external environment which includes rewards and punishments (Uyulgan and Akkuzu, 2014). One is only interested in the activity not because they think of it as beneficial to them in any way but rather, they are involved in the activity to get the awards or to avoid the punishment. Teachers should therefore study the students and try to analyze the kind of motivation that their students possess (if they are motivated to begin with). Here are some of the strategies that a teacher can apply to increase the motivation of his students. To begin with, and this is none of the most applied strategies, the teacher should be keen to communicate some level of confidence to their students (Alyssa and Willems, 2012). Some of the students may have been performing poorly ever since they joined their schools. Of importance to note is that in secondary schools, the students are going through a period of self discovery. This means that they are likely to have low self esteem and if they have been failing in some area for quite some time, they may resign to this continuous failure, and even identify themselves with it. If this happens, the level of motivation for such a student is probably very low. According to the self efficacy theory, people are more prone to react to perceptions (Houser and Frymier, 2009). This means that if a teacher expresses confidence in a student, they are more likely to work harder in a bid to get more complimenting remarks. This theory shows that self efficacy builds a form of self esteem and when this happens, a student will work even harder (Salvin, 2003). If a student has added to score-points from his last assessment test, the teacher should ensure that they compliment the student in this. This, as psychologists suggest, goes a long way in increasing the motivation of learners. Another strategy that teachers can use is to work in providing “basic” needs such as love, care and even a sense of belongingness to and for the students (Krayse et al, 2013). The importance of this can be based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy of needs according to Maslow is as represented below. Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs Psychologists argue that it is only after learners have acquired the basic needs that they will thereafter seek to satisfy their self esteem and self actualization needs (Weri, 2013). Teachers, fortunately, can be a great source of the first three needs. They can ensure that children have physiological needs such as love by being friends to them, especially those who are orphaned or are from families where there is a lot of fighting and wrangles. If the teacher becomes a “friend” to such a student, he or she will feel loved and cared for and hence their physiological and safety needs shall have been addressed. The teachers can still be a source of the learner’s social needs by being actively involved in knowing what happens in their (learner’s) life (Theobald, 2005). They can also encourage the student to play along with other students and as a result, they will experience some social bond. After all this has been taken care of, the esteem and self actualization needs, the categories in which motivation can be generated, will be easier to meet. If one feels they are loved, cared for, are safe and they have a social life, motivation will most likely come in easy. The teachers can now talk to them about the need to pay more attention to their class work and even explain the reasons as to why a particular course or activity is important for them. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, therefore, is a wonderful strategy for improving the motivation of learners. Another strategy that teachers can adopt entails the creation of a disequilibrium gap in the students (Benson, 2008). This happens when people experience a point of “being blank”, where there is a gap between something new and what something knew before (or believed before). This is possible when a teacher, in the middle of a teaching session, randomly asks questions to the students, and when they realize that there is a gap in their thinking, this increases the motivation (Salvin, 2003). It might be that this class is made up of naturally intelligent people, or it has learners who are already motivated in their studies. However, to further improve on their levels and rates of motivation, the cognitive view on motivation suggests that one creates a state of disequilibrium in the minds of the learners where they try to figure out what they know, what they believe and what they should know. If it is in a class whose level of motivation has just started being nurtured, introducing new concepts gradually can greatly help (Benson, 2008). For example, one can ask a question regarding a concept that they intend to handle in the following topic. If the students realize that it is part of the concepts they are currently tackling, yet they do know the answer, they will be inspired to find more information on their own. As a result, the disequilibrium gap which will have been created in their minds shall be addressed by the students desiring to find out this new information. Challenging them on things they believe is also a way of creating a disequilibrium gap. It is important to note that the creation of the disequilibrium is a major component of the intrinsic type of motivation. In addition, a teacher can increase and boost the motivation of students by reinforcing their behaviors (Krause et al, 2013; Alyssa and Willems, 2012). This comes in the form of acknowledging and at times rewarding the students who have done well. The operant conditioning concept is a great tool in advocating for this motivational strategy (Krause, 2013). This concept says that when a certain behavior is enforced for a long time, it is likely to remain and keep developing overtime (Theobald, 2005). Developed upon Pavlov’s theory of classical conditioning, operant conditioning shows the importance of trying to modify a behavior (Houser and Frymeir, 2009). This behaviorist theory indicates that if a person associates some form of behavior with a certain consequence, they will most definitely make the right choices. This theory is one that advises that teachers should focus on the observable behavior in order to know how or why students are or are not motivated (Benson, 2008). For example, if students are constantly failing on their mathematics units, a teacher can decide to reward any person who scores above a certain percentage. In addition, he or she can decide to punish those who are below a certain percentage. When these actions are taken the first few times, there is deemed to be behavioral change. Those who are rewarded will definitely work harder to ensure that they continue receiving the awards (which can be in form of gifts and praises) whereas those who have been punished will work even harder to ensure that they are not punished the next time. This behavior will develop and as a result, the motivation of the students will gradually grow and increase. Encouraging formation of peer groups can be another strategy that teachers can use (Patal, Dent and Oyer, 2013). The social learning theory indicates that effect from peers and factors from the environment all have an effect on the motivation of a person. At such, good peer interaction and company in which one can easily compete is important in ensuring that a learner performs better. This therefore means that the teacher can encourage the formation of task and study groups, and to an extent, allow the students to follow the groups themselves (Benson, 2008). Allowing students to from their own groups is discouraged in many schools. However, educational psychologists argue that this allowance is important and helpful in building the motivation of students. One of the cognitive theories of motivation, the self determination theory shows that this form of study creates competence and helps in developing some relatedness (Patall, Dent and Oyer, 2013). In addition, it also allows some autonomy to the students and this is important as it helps to generate a sense of self regulation. When students have this autonomic chance, they are more likely to work harder to prove to the teachers that the freedom to form the group was not a wrong move, and that they (as friends) can all work together to help each other (Patall, Dent and Oyer, 2013). Teachers whose classes have low motivated students, therefore, should not be afraid of allowing some autonomy and freedom to students to form their own peer task and study groups. The autonomy given makes them feel that they are able to make their own choices and come up with fruitful impressive decisions (Benson, 2008; Patall, Dent and Oyer, 2013). The constructivism theory shows how humans learn and increase their knowledge, and are motivated by ideas and experiences (Krause, 2013). This theory suggests that human beings gain intensive knowledge by many of their own experiences. This therefore means that if a student has had an experience of failure and lacks of compliments, they are most likely to continue on the same trend and there are minimal chances of the learner ever loving what they do (Salvin, 2003). To counter this, the teacher should greatly focus on the successes of the student rather than their failures. If the parents at home are continuously scolding the student regarding the poor grades, it is upon the teacher to provide a different “affect” to the student (Houser and Frymier, 2009). He or she should ensure that if the student has made an improvement, it should be noted. For illustrations, take a case of Jane who has constantly been failing in her History essays. She has been trying but unfortunately, there has been very little progress. As a teacher, one should strategize on how to help Jane. For example, one can note one improvement in her essay and note “Jane, your essays are gradually improving, am impressed. This one was particularly better than the other one, and would have been even better if you made it a little longer. Good work Jane”. Such a remark acknowledges that there are some errors and flaws with Jane’s essays, but it capitalizes on the improvements. Constructivism shows that the continuous positive remarks greatly aid in providing a positive experience to the learners and as a result, their motivation is likely to increase. Conclusion The above are just some of the many strategies that teachers can apply to improve the motivation of secondary school learners. They show the teacher student relationships in classrooms and what needs to address the issue of low motivation among students. These strategies have been forwarded and proposed by educational and developmental scientists and much accreditation to their effectiveness has been seen. It is definitely undeniable that behavioral and cognitive engagement between teachers and students is necessary in molding an active student (Selda, 2012). Motivation greatly affects the performance of students and hence, teachers should apply all available strategies to ensure that their students are motivated enough. Lack of motivation can be witnessed on all categories of students, from the able bodied to the handicapped, from the intelligent to those who are not. It is therefore important to consider all determining factors so as to apply the most effective strategy. References Alyssa, G., & Willems, G. (2012). Theories in educational psychology: Concise guide to meaning and practice. Sidney: R&L Education Publishers. Benson, B. (2008). How to meet standards, motivate students and still enjoy teaching: Four practices that improve student learning. London: Corcoin Press. Burden, P. (2000). Powerful classroom management strategies: Motivating students to learn. London: Corwin Press. Houser, M., & Frymeir, E. (2009). The role of student characteristics and teacher behaviors in students learner empowerment. Communication Education, 58(1), 35-53. Krause, K., Bochner, S., McMaugh,A., & Duchesne, S. (2013). Educational psychology for learning and teaching. Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Patall, E., Dent, A., & Oyer,M. (2013). Student autonomy and course values: The unique and cumulative roles of various teacher practices. Journal of Motivation and Emotion, 37(1), 14-32. Salvin, R. (2003). Educational Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/samplechapter/0205351433.pdf Selda,Y. (2012). Teacher support, motivation ,learning strategy, use and achievement: A multilevel mediation model. Journal of Experimental Education, 80(2), 150-172. Theobald, M. (2005). Increasing student motivation: Strategies for middle and high school teachers. London: Sage Publishers. Uyulgan, M., & Akkuzu, N. (2014). An overview of student teachers’ intrinsic motivation. Educational Science, Theory and Practice, 14(1), 24-32. Weri, J., & Thomson, M. (2013). Motivational strategies to enhance effective learning in struggling students. Support for Learning, 28(3), 103-108. Read More