Major Motivational Theories and Their Relevance to the Teaching of English in the Secondary School - Essay Example

ESSAY d: November 16, 2007 Outline and discuss some major motivational theories and their relevance to the teaching of English in the secondary school Why should English be taught? Why should a student learn English? Where will it get him? Will it help him to be more successful in life? Can English make him smarter? Why not the local language? What advantages does English have over the local language? Are some subjects better taught in English than in the local language? How can you ensure that each English class is enjoyable for each student? In other words, how can you motivate him? The other side: How can the teacher enjoy teaching English? How can he or she feel motivated enough to experiment with various teaching methods? What is the level of satisfaction the teacher expects, from teaching a particular class? Can it be quantified? How can the teacher maximize her effectiveness? ‘Motivate’ is defined in the Oxford Thesaurus as a verb meaning ‘activate, actuate, arouse, cause’. Technically, the Oxford Thesaurus defines ‘motivation’ as a noun meaning ‘(1) the reason or reasons behind one’s action or behaviour; (2) enthusiasm.’ Teacher student interaction is the starting point of this perennial discussion on the relevance of motivation theories to the teaching of English in Secondary schools. The relationship works both ways. If the set of students are responsive, it motivates the teachers to give it their best shot, and when the teacher is good, then the students feel inclined to listen and imbibe the knowledge being shared. Historically, English has been a link language in any part of the world, hence deemed an effective medium of instruction. Times are changing and questions come up on the efficacy and even the essentiality of English as a medium of instruction, which often acts as a motivator and sometimes as a demotivator. In this age of increasing individuality and self awareness, coupled with an independent approach to the educational system these challenging questions often come up. The ideal student is one who loves to learn, enjoy his lessons, respect his books and their knowledge, prioritize studies over going out for a pizza or a movie, in all honesty. But does this usually happen? For the real student at the secondary level, often the pizza is an incentive to study, the movie is a motivation to complete an assignment, a trigger for capitulation. Intrinsic motivation, is scarce commodity, and an ideal situation. As defined by Brophy, J.*, intrinsic motivation is a situation where a student is self driven, willing to learn of his own volition, hone his competencies and achieve his goal. Brophy defines extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, as a situation where the individual needs an external inducement to perform- it could be money, it could be the glamour of a top position in class, or it could simply be that pizza we spoke about in earlier paragraphs. Often motivational triggers are given keeping in mind, the developmental levels, learning styles and the cultural background. Theorists agree further that motivational triggers need to be tailored not only according to the situation, but also according to the individual. During an assignment or class, we come across reticent students who need a “push”. The other, easier option is to just let them be. Just letting them be would not make us successful teachers- the joy of teaching is explicitly to win the attention of the students he or she teaches, and get the points across effectively. And implicitly, to have the satisfaction of having done their job well. So we decide to push, but then we need to ensure that the push is motivating, and makes him feel comfortable. Another theory that applies to the situation under discussion is the Achievement Goal theory, propounded by various theorists, prominent among them being Butler*, in 1999. We understand that achievement related attitudes vary with people and their goals- for some, who are more task oriented, or task involved, it is important to acquire skills and competencies to achieve their goal; while for the individuals who are ego oriented or ego involved, it is of utmost importance to demonstrate superior abilities. Schoolwork is an area where ego involvement is increasingly seen, since competition is open and the results quantifiable in the form of marks. The first position or a rank on the Honours list is a coveted achievement. So how do we apply this concept to motivate? As Maslow*, in his Hierarchy of Needs theory states, with every growing need and the related motivation and behaviour in attaining those needs, starting from physiological needs and growing on to the self realization needs, the individual has to firstly, feel the need, and then be comfortable with the methods of satiety, in other words, the motivation to fulfil the need. If he is not comfortable, any input may work in the reverse. Applying this to motivation analysis among Secondary school students, it becomes very apparent that if the motivation is not making the student comfortable, or is not required, it is bound to decelerate the pace of learning, be it English or any other academic subject. A typical situation arises, when motivation is rendered useless because the need is already satisfied or satiated through another means. Behaviour is both directed to, and results from, unsatisfied needs. The word unsatisfied is most important - a satisfied need fails to be a motivator. We often hear about “fire in the belly” in Corporate boardrooms.- it is this simple theory applied to a given situation. If we are convinced about the need for certain action and convinced about the achievement, then we will go ahead and stop at nothing. We will aspire to achieve- we will dare. Someone who has already got it or has another goal, will obviously not hold the opportunity so precious. Let us take an example- there are students who can afford the best education on their own, and there are students who cannot. The satisfaction of the need to finance their education would be a great motivator to the student who finds it difficult to do it on his own, while it would invite indifference from the student who has the money. Similarly, satisfaction of needs is at various levels- we have to ensure that we satisfy the needs sequentially step by step - miss a step and the motivation becomes useless, wasted. Atkinsons* motivation theory as explained in Motivation determinants of risk taking behaviour, deals with the risk taking behavior of individuals as motive strength. Motivation to achieve success is viewed as a product of the subjective probability of success and the incentive value of success. Similarly, motivation to avoid failure is a product of the subjective probability of failure and the negative incentive value of failure. Cognitive and affective components reflecting these products result in behavior. The higher the risk involved in achievement of goal, the better the effort to perform. A student will only exert and strive if he sees an optimum amount of challenge, value and positive outcome while learning- and again, it is a teachers prerogative to provide the right inputs for the behavioural output. Students in class, are classified very aptly in the theory propounded by Douglas McGregor*, in his book, ‘The Human side of Enterprise’, which was originally meant to map various aspects of workplace culture. That the theory has great relevance to students and educators alike, is clear in the two behavioural facets he considers and incorporates in Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X assumes a lazy individual who will avoid work if he can. He will be prone to inconsistent behaviour, will accuse others for things going wrong, unwilling to take ownership, and quite unambitious. He is pessimistic, suspicious and shows lack of trust. Is most unwilling to let go of his authority Theory Y assumes a committed, self driven individual who comes very close to our definition of an ideal worker. He wants to learn, do well, climb higher up in his calling, and is anxious to take on bigger responsibilities. He trusts, and empowers. This is the more positive set of assumptions out of the two. We could compare the educator here, to the manager, who identifies each team member basis these traits and treats them accordingly. The educator also could be judged on the same parameters. So who is the better motivator? We judge on a case to case basis. Another interesting hypothesis that we may apply among students learning English in Secondary school is with reference to the reinforcement theory as written by Skinner* in 1953. Role of reinforcement in learning has been very prominent and a very important tool in teaching, ever since we could put a science to the art of successful cascade of knowledge. Supplying the right answer and acknowledgement of the students’ efforts in providing the correct solutions, has been seen to motivate. Some other theorists take this proposition forward and believe in rewards for the correct solution. After reading these management and workplace theories on motivation, and applying them to the relevance of teaching English in the secondary school, the needs of the students ring out loud and clear. All theories considered and all assumptions accounted for, the next step would be to design an approach which could motivate us to be successful as educators. Teaching today, is a science- not just an art. Meaningful objectivity and accurate judgement makes us successful educators. We are concerned not only with textual material- that is only half the battle. The bigger battle is how to get the knowledge across to an audience which has so many options- good or bad, right or wrong, perfect or imperfect. As we would say in management jargon- it is a buyers market- there are people at the other end, very aware, very independent and very focused, who will not spare you if you make a mistake. Let us narrow it down to the teaching of English at the secondary level. We ask ourselves the questions: What kind of an individual is the student? What does the student like? What excites him or her? What will make him or her learn? Why should a secondary level student strive to learn English? For a degree? For better prospects? A future ambition? For an international level of education? To be a global citizen? And then we take a look at our own analysis. How well do I know my student? Do I expect my student to be a nerd? Or do I expect him or her to be a wayward, irresponsible shirker? Is my word law or am I a good listener? Do I encourage my students? Then we need to introspect on the following: What can I do to establish the need for learning English? Can I make the learning more interesting? More aspirational? More relevant? More cohesive? More appealing? What approach should I adopt? Friendly? Authoritative? Lenient? Strict? Accommodating? Intimidating? Considerate? Ruthless? Coercive? Suggestive? Reactive? Proactive? Open? Closed? Liberal? Conservative? Repetitive? Innovative? Encouraging? Discouraging? There is no end to the number of introspections one can indulge in. Each answer gives more insight into successful teaching. We as committed educators, also need to remember that we have our own needs which are satiated while catering to the needs of our students. The need to be recognized as a good teacher, the need to be liked by the students, to be looked up to as a capable mentor, to set new benchmarks in teaching standards, to grow in our role and climb to the highest levels in our profession, the need to imbibe and share knowledge. Some of us are passionate about these needs, some are not. Incorporating all that we have learnt through these theories of motivation, we will now attempt to relate it to the classroom experience. Precedents have been set by other educators- they are not to be followed compulsively, but a prudent educator will always glean the best in order to be more effective. A fruitful classroom session is by itself a great motivator. While teaching we are constantly improvising, and often, bettering our best. Learning from experience and being objective about the application of that learning, makes teachers more successful. Every effort to teach a student or group of students needs to be in the direction of: Answering the learning needs of the group Making learning more enjoyable Making learning objective to the point of being indispensable- only when we are able to impress the indispensability of the subject does it appeal to the student group Making learning urgent and an important aspect of growing years Creating a sound basic foundation in the subject, on which the student can build successfully- in other words, enable the student to achieve higher levels Being able to satiate the additional information needs of the student group Being able to react to the student group’s requests Being proactive about the queries of the group and achieving a high level of preparedness for class Respecting the student group as mature individuals who recognize the extent of their need for learning and knowledge Reinforcing the need for learning wherever there is weakness Feeling equally responsible for everything that goes right or wrong within the group- as a teacher, you are not above law Rejoicing the successes and setting right the failures of the group as an entity Taking each member of the group as they are- there is no thumb rule to teaching Creating healthy competition among the group members by constant benchmarking, exercises, learning imperatives Creating a practical appeal for the subject- convince the student group about the universal appeal of English as a language Differentiating and assessing capabilities within the student group Providing for special needs if any within the group Sharing constructive feedback whenever required As an additional paradigm while discussing teaching of English in the Secondary school, and making the experience rewarding, I would here, like to add mentoring as a very effective motivation tool. The word ‘mentor’ has its roots in ancient European mythology, where Odysseus requested a trusted friend named Mentor, to take on the work of educating his son. Since then, mentoring has been synonymous with advice and guidance, but now the process seems to be in high fashion. Let us assess the reasons why. Earlier, there were limited options and limited exposure- so the student was less confused. In addition, the individual’s world was limited to ones own country- familiar and within reach. Globalization was not so prominent. But now, the entire world is available if you can dare and win it. Which opportunity is right for a student, and how will he get there, are two very critical decisions. Mentoring comes in very useful as a tool to urge the student forward on an appropriate chosen path. He will achieve his chosen goal with confidence and ease- he knows his way forward because of the mentor he has, who may be his teacher, his senior, his parent, even his consultant who charges a fee. Increasingly, the role of mentor is being assumed by senior teachers in the school- after all, they are the ones precisely aware of a student’s capabilities, inclinations and deliverables. Mentoring for beginner teachers and educators has been popular for a while, and now, student mentoring has come of age. The rapport between a mentor ( one who guides) and a mentee (one who is guided) defines the success or failure of the exercise. Open rational minds, agile imagination, passion to achieve, objectivity to deliver and an unbiased approach to life are essential traits for a successful relationship. While the mentor evaluates the mentee, the mentee also has full freedom to evaluate his or her mentor. The mentor is able to assess the student, suggest what’s good for him, and handhold him or her through to a logical conclusion of the exercise or the goal advised. The bonding ensues, and thus the motivation. When a student is convinced that certain activity will propel him towards his goal, he will willingly do it. But he has to be sure of his goal first. A mentor serves a dual purpose- he gives positive advice and then he also gives feedback on how a job could have been done better. Mentoring has assumed various forms. In this era of technology, e mentoring is available. There are peer mentors as well, from within the group of students. There are organizations and groups of skilled and trained people who offer mentoring, in other words counseling as a profession, to students. There are career advisors, career specialists who try and understand the students aspirations and situation, and advise accordingly. We all agree that once clarity is achieved, action is more focused and more rewarding. Educators can decidedly be the most effective advisors/mentors, and in turn, motivators. Last but not least, we come back to the starting point of this entire discussion- the relevance of motivational theories to the teaching of English in the secondary school. What has always been an integral part of the educators’ tool kit, has today, been defined scientifically, in black and white, through theories propounded. Whereas at a certain point in time, educators followed their intuition, today they work with scientific analyses with established theories backing them up. The entire process thus becomes more objective, more defined, more measurable. English as a part of secondary school curriculum may not be the key subject for the student to chart a career in most cases, but is a universal medium of instruction, one that gives him the global advantage. To establish the need for learning English is the first point on the agenda- the next step is to satisfy that need. It is an intrinsically motivated action if the student prefers English over other media of instruction. It becomes an extrinsically motivated action if as educator you show him the goal he can achieve if he learns English. At the end of the day, the objective is the same- make learning a pleasurable experience together. REFERENCES Book Title: Motivating Students to Learn, by Brophy, J. 1998 Published by McGraw Hill 1998 Book Title: Journal of Educational Psychology by Butler 1999 Published in 1999 Book Title: Motivation and Personality by Abraham H. Maslow 1970 Published by Harper and Row 1970 Book Title:An Introduction to Motivation, by John William Atkinson 1964 Published by Van Nostrand 1964 Book Title: The Human side of Enterprise, by Douglas McGregor 1960 Published by McGraw Hill 1960 Book Title: Science and Human Behaviour by B. F. Skinner 1953 Published by Macmillan Free Press- A division of Simon and Schuster Inc. 1953 Suggested reading Book Title: Learning to Teach in the Secondary School, by Capel, S., Leask, M., & Turner, T. Published by Routledge 2004 Read More