Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

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Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

• Ellie McAffee
• Chapter 4

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Introduction

• This set of instructional techniques addresses
  students attitudes and beliefs.
• This category has been subdivided into two parts
• Reinforcing effort
• Providing recognition
• Does Reinforcement and Recognition really help to
  increase student achievement?
• Page 49-50

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Research and Theory on Reinforcing Effort

• Research shows that people generally attribute
  success at any given task to one of four causes
• Ability, Effort. Other People, and Luck
• (Covington and Harter, 1980.)
• Three of these four beliefs ultimately inhibit
  achievement
• A belief on the part of students that they do not
  possess the necessary ability to succeed at a
  task might cause them to sabotage their own
  success.
• People are helpful until an individual finds
  himself alone.
• Luck is fine until the luck runs out.
• Belief in effort is clearly the most useful
  attribution!
• Page 50

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Generalizations from Research on Effort

• Not all students realize the importance of
  believing in effort.
• Studies have demonstrated that some students are
  not aware of the fact that the effort they put
  into a task has a direct effect on their success
  relative to the task.
• (Seligman, 1990, 1994 Urdan, Medgley,
  Anderman, 1998)

• Students can learn to change their beliefs to an
  emphasis on effort.
• Simply demonstrating that added effort will pay
  off in terms of enhanced achievement actually
  increases student achievement.
• (Craske, 1985 Wilson Linville, 1982)

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Classroom Practice in Reinforcing Effort

• Teachers need to make sure that they explicitly
  teach and exemplify the connection between effort
  and achievement.
• Share personal examples
• Seek out and share examples of well-known
  athletes, educators, and leaders who succeeded in
  large part simply because they didnt give up
• Ask students to recall personal examples
• Pages 51 - 52

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Keeping Track of Effort and Achievement

• A powerful way to help them make a connection
  between effort and achievement is to ask student
  to keep track of their effort and its
  relationship to achievement.
• Please see Page 52 for the complete Rubric.

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Keeping Track of Effort and Achievement

• Students might use these rubrics to keep tract of
  their effort and achievement on a daily basis for
  a week.

Page 57
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Research and Theory on Providing Recognition

• There are three generalizations that can be
  extracted from the research
• Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect
  on the intrinsic motivation.
• Reward is most effective when it is contingent on
  the attainment of some standard of performance.
• Abstract symbolic recognition is more effective
  than tangible rewards.
• Pages 55-57

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Figure 4.5Guidelines for Effective Praise

• Effective Praise
• Is delivered contingently.
• Specifies the particulars.
• Provides information.
• Orients students toward problems solving.
• Uses prior accomplishments.
• Is given for noteworthy effort.
• Attributes success to effort.
• Focuses student attention.

• Ineffective Praise
• Is delivered randomly.
• Shows bland uniformity.
• Rewards mere participation.
• Provides no information.
• Orients students toward comparing and competing.
• Is given without regard to effort or
  accomplishment.
• Attributes success to external reasons.
• Fosters exogenous attributions.

Page 56, Brophy, J. (1981)
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Classroom Practice in Providing Recognition

• Personalizing Recognition
• It is best to make this recognition as personal
  to the students as possible.
• Pause, Prompt, and Praise
• This is best used when students are engaged in a
  particularly demanding task with which they are
  having difficulty.
• Concrete Symbols of Recognition
• Stickers, awards, coupons, and treats do not
  necessarily diminish the intrinsic motivation if
  they are given for accomplishing specific
  performance goals.
• Pages 58 - 59

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Conclusion

• Reinforcing effort can help teach students one of
  the most valuable lessons they can learn the
  harder you try, the more successful you are.
• In addition, providing recognition for attainment
  of specific goals not only enhances achievement,
  but it stimulates motivation.
• Page 59