Do Pedagogical Strategies Enhance Motivational and Cognitive Processes - Assignment Example

Do pedagogical strategies (technology, peer modelling, situational learning, instruction and verbal persuasion “encouragement”) enhance motivational and cognitive processes (self-efficacy, academic buoyancy, task value, effort expenditure, and academic engagement)? Pedagogical strategies are important in ensuring students are motivated towards fulfilling their learning obligations. Encouragement of students and presenting new and favourable avenues such as use of technology may make the learners appreciate the learning process that translates into specified expectations Fisher & Silver (1985). Pedagogical strategies are the methods in which a teacher assists learners to learn and some of the strategies the research will utilise include situational learning, peer modelling, technology, instruction and verbal persuasion. These strategies are directly associated to motivational and cognitive processes because motivation comes in two different methods, which are intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the internal eagre while extrinsic motivation is the external forces that drive an individual into achieving a given goal. Therefore, the proposed pedagogical strategies proposed are important in encouraging extrinsic motivation, which could culminate into improving intrinsic factors that driver a learner into achieving stated goals. Cognitive process such as self-efficacy and academic buoyancy are crucial in encouraging a learner to learn since it is modelled by pedagogical strategies. For example, self-efficacy can be achieved through instructional engagement and situational teaching because Bandura (1977) defines self-efficacy has individual’s beliefs about being a position to execute actions that results in desired result. In addition, utilisation of the pedagogical strategies such as use of persuasion encouragement is important in understanding and responding to situation such as academic buoyancy (Martin & Marsh, 2008). Cognitive processes and motivational factors are important in encouraging a learner to achieve specific goals such as solving mathematical problem. According to Martin & Marsh (2008), academic buoyancy is important because the researcher, “teacher”, employs strategies such as teach students face to face, positive feedback, collaborative learning and technology into ensuring the learners are motivated towards fulfilling their objectives. Therefore, pedagogical strategies are important in determining the motivational and cognitive processes towards enhancing the learning process. Do students differ in their cognitive and motivational processes across two time points in English learning? Fisher & Silvern (1985) questions whether cognitive development occurs in discontinuous stages, universal or structural reorganisations to all individuals at that specific characterize domains of development. From another perspective, is cognitive development discrete and continuous with the different individuals showing different developmental patterns based on their different learning background without specific sequence of stages across the different domains. If though the analyses has been phrased badly, but most learning measured in points is cast in dichotomous terms similar to these badly phrased sentences. Numerous researches (e.g. Silvern 1984, Fisher & Bullock 1984) have being carried out with the aim of understanding the traditional dichotomisation of learning process. From the analyses, it is evidenced of stage like changes and consistency across domains while at the same time individual differences exists. Fisher & Silver (1985) states that there are numerous factors that affects an individual development. They (Fisher & Silver) present examples of such scenario that includes behaviour, social group organisation, cultural organisation, neuro-anatomy, physiology and genetics. These factors are affected and changes during development and variations at event single affect fuehrer variant development. Human cognitive development stages affect the maturing processes with either provision of opportunities or constraints towards its development. The end point of the cognitive development is defined in terms of similarity and diversity of the samples utilised (Goodenow, 1993). A developmental sequence is based on progressive structures that results in an outcome as defined in Piaget’s preoperational, formal operational, concrete operational and sensorimotor stages. In development of conjoint framework such as grouping the learners and utilising, the quasi experiment strategy employs from the perspectives and concepts of Vygotsky’s (1978). Cognitive progression requires scaffolding whereby the teachers and learners contribute positively towards accomplishing a given task. Appropriate scaffolding requires teachers carefully monitor the learners’ goals and interests. In addition, cognitive status of an individual cannot be identified independently but based on “zone of proximal development”. Therefore, with the helped of zone of proximal development and environmental support, it is easier to analyse and define issues of stages and differences of individuals (Walton & Cohen, 2007). In such instances, motivation plays an important role in developing a learner. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are important in ensuring an individual achieves specified outcome and through provision of motivational aspects, it is easier to measure the differences of individuals between two points. For example, encouragement and positive feedbacks are crucial in assisting a learner to develop cognitively through the problems proposed. Those students who show persistence in academic activities and socially acceptable classroom behaviour are better placed to succeed in school. Some of the motivational approaches that are important include control beliefs, student’s competence related beliefs, achievement goal orientations, and academic goals. Generally, based on a set of assessment conditions, all the English learners may show same set of distinct levels and also high levels of synchrony that is evident across domains. Based on a different assessment policy, substantial individual differences and unevenness across the domains may be evident. Analyses from these perspectives results in two distinctive data patterns that conforms to different environmental factors. Moreover, the data patterns are influenced by motivational factors defining the aims of the learners and the expected outcome. Hence, if appropriate cognitive development and motivational strategies are placed into consideration, it is easier to pinpoint two stages of development; the two-time points of English learning. Do cognitive and motivational processes (self-efficacy, academic buoyancy, task value, effort expenditure, and academic engagement) enhance students’ learning of English? Cognitive and motivational processes can help or hinder the learning process of English. Learners participate in courses with beliefs, knowledge, attitudes that were gained from other learning and daily life. This prior knowledge influences the manner of filtering and interpreting what the student learns. For example, if the prior knowledge of the student is accurate and robust, it provides an avenue whereby the learner can easily learn English. However, when the knowledge is activated inappropriately, insufficient for the task, inert or inaccurate can impede the learning process (Butler, 1993). In addition, the way a student organises their work and knowledge contributes on how the student learns and how the knowledge is applied. Cognitive process is important in creating connections between the pieces of knowledge and where the knowledge structures are meaningfully and accurately organised, the students are better placed to retrieve and apply their knowledge efficiently and effectively (Boggiano and Katz, 1991). Therefore, cognitive development and prior knowledge is important for a learner to learn English and enhance the learning process. Learners’ motivation directs, determines and sustains what they employ to learn. Motivation processes are crucial because it guides the intensity, direction, quality and persistence of the learning behaviours in the learning process (Singley & Anderson, 1989). When the learners find positive value, it is easier for these individuals to learn and achieve the desired learning outcome and the perceived support from their environment. Moreover, the quality of learning and performance is fostered when the students receive targeted feedback and should be frequent to address challenges faced by the learners. Learners should employ different cognitive processes to control and monitor their approaches to learning. The learners should evaluate their own weaknesses and strengths, applying a variety of structural learning processes and choosing the most appropriate strategy to allow them to learn effectively (Wiggins, 1998). However, it is difficult for these learners to engage in these processes naturally and therefore an instructor plays an important role in assisting and effectively directing the learners towards achieving the desired goals. Employing an array of motivational and cognitive process is crucial in enhancing the learning process of an individual. In addition, instructors are important in assisting the learners based on understanding emotional, social and intellectual climate and approaches (Bandura, 1989). Learners have emotional and social requirements and help them to achieve a range of social, intellectual and emotional skills. Therefore, instructors can shape the emotional, social, physical aspects of learning and intellectual aspects towards enhancing the learning process. Generally, cognitive and motivational processes are important components and factors that drive individuals into achieving learning requirements. In assisting the learners to enhance their English learning process, it is important to encourage motivation and champion the cognitive processes. References Bandura, A. (1989). Self-regulation of motivation and action through internal standards and goal systems. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Goal concepts in personality and social psychology (pp. 19-85). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press. Boggiano, A. K., and Katz, P. (1991). 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Emotional-behavioural disorders: A failure of system functions. See Gollin 1984c, pp. 95-152 Singley, M. K., & Anderson, J. R. (1989). The transfer of cognitive skill. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Univ. Press Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92 (1), 82-96. Wiggins, G. (1998). Educative Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Read More