Managing Student Motivation to Learn

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Managing Student Motivation to Learn

• Presented by
• Maureen M. Mattias, M.A.
• EDEL 413Classroom Learning Theories and
  Management
• Class session 3-2

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What is meant by motivation?

• The word motive comes from the Latin root
  meaning to move .
• It is defined as an emotion, desire, or
  psychological need that incites a person to do
  something.
• Motive is the why of behavior.

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Teachers are generally more concerned about how
to motivate students than about anything else in
teaching,

• with the possible exception of discipline.

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Five Reasons Why People Do Not Do What We Want
Them to Do, (according to Charles Senter)

• Do not know what to do
• Do not know how to do it
• Do not know why they should do it
• Are not well suited or matched to the task
• Do not want to do it

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How Can Teachers Influence Student Motivation?

• Capitalize on students known interests,
• including those interest topics or themes in
  the lesson.
• Encourage students.
• Help students feel secure and supported.
• Use systems of reinforcement for good work and
  behavior.

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Many teachers still resort to motivating student
through fear and intimidation.

• But, the overall results rarely are satisfying.

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Motivation and Lessons

• Motivation that resides over time within
  individuals is called
• intrinsic motivation.
• Motivation that is supplied from outside the
  individual is called
• extrinsic motivation.

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The major interests and wants of elementary
students of different age levels have been well
documented.

• In general, they have remained consistent over
  time.
• Examples of wants and interests suggested by
  Charles and Senter include sample pages of coupon
  books.

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Sample Pages of a coupon book include

• Reading Log Coupon which is good for one nights
  signature on the students reading log.
• Opps!!! I Forgot!! used in place of an assignment
  the student forgot to finish.
• (except for book reports or other big
  assignments)
• Assignment Coupon good for an assignment from any
  subject.

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What Does Motivate Students to Learn?

• Share with your group members your ideas about
  this question.

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William Glassers important contributions to
education

• What are they?
• Advocate of Democratic Communication
• Discuss with your group members Dr. Glassers
  contentions concerning motivation.

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Five Human Needs 2 5 are closely related to
classroom motivation

• To survive and reproduce
• To belong
• To acquire power
• To be free and
• To have fun?

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Dr. Howard Gardners Contributions

• Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)
• Harvard University, Boston, MA.
• What are the eight areas of intelligence that Dr.
  Gardner identified in his theory?
• Stand up to learn these eight intelligences via a
  kinesthetic activity.
• Share with a neighbor.
• Can you name all 8?
• Did the kinesthetic activity assist you to learn
  these?

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An important question for all teachers to ask
themselves

• In what ways are my students smart?

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Multiple Intelligence Questionnaire

• Take the M.I.Questionnaire provided in class.
• Were you surprised at your results?
• Share your results with your group members.
• What are the implications of your results?
• How can you teach first graders to count,
  identify and write 1-100, through teaching to
  the eight intelligences.
• Write you responses on large poster paper.

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Frederic Joness Contributions

• Jones believes that incentives work best when
  they are mixed with the context of the the
  instructional program and classroom structure.

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Jones describes Perferred Activity Time (PAT) as

• an opportunity that the teacher would have had
  students do anyway, if time allowed.

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Five Elements of Preferred Activity Time

• It is genuine.
• It has educational value.
• It encourages group concern.
• It can work individually.
• It is easy to implement.

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Spencer Kagans Contributions

• Kagan connects motivation to
• Cooperative learning
• Classbuilding
• Teambuilding

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Personality Traits of Teacher Good at Motivation

• According to C.M.Charles Gail Sentor, these
  traits include
• Charisma
• Caring
• Enthusiasm
• Trust
• Respect

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What Do Good Motivators Do?

• Teachers good at motivating students,according to
  Charles Sentor, frequently,use eleven specific
  skills.

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What Do Good Motivators Do?

• Discuss with your group members these skills and
  proceed to identify them by listing on poster
  paper.

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Teachers Good at motivating students

• Skill 1- Use novelty, mystery, puzzlement, and
  excitement to energize their lessons. (NMPE).
• Skill 2 - Use color, sound,movement, and student
  activity to attract and hold attention.(CSMA).

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Teachers Good at Motivating students

• Skill 3
• Assign individual projects and
• Group projects.

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Teachers Good at Motivating students

• Skill 4 -State clear, reasonable expectations
  and requirements to avoid confusion and enlist
  student cooperation. (ER)

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Skill 5 - Provide continual

• Support
• Help
• Feedback and
• Encouragement
• to assist students over rough spots and keep
  them on track.

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Skill 6 - Listen to Student Concerns and Remain
Flexible Enough to Change When It Is Warranted.

• ie. Brief class discussions at the end of each day

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Skill 7 Provide Numerous Opportunities for
Students to Display Their Accomplishments to

• the whole class
• and
• larger audiences

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Additional skills recommended by C.M.Charles
Gail Senter used to motivate students

• Skill 8 - Emphasize student accountability by
  using student-centered classroom assessment
• Skill 9 - Give students responsibility
• Skill 10 - Differentiating Instruction.
• Skill 11 - Work to build Esprit de corps

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What are six things classroom motivators do not
do?

• In your groups number off 1 5 and then assign
  each member one of the other five things that
  classroom motivators try not to do .
• SHARE, first, with your group members.
• Then, share with other class members by
  participating in a jigsaw activity.

• 1. They DO NOT bore students to death, but,
  plan against boredom.

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Dangers in Motivation Include

• Over stimulation of students and
• Possible questions about ethics of using rewards
  as incentives and payoffs.