Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the classroom

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Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations
in the classroom

• By Moira Franchetti

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Harters Individual Differences Scale

• Intrinsic Motivation is looked at as the complete
  opposite of extrinsic motivation.
• Note This scale did not allow the students
  studied to indicate that either both or neither
  of the listed reasons may have applied to them.
  EX A student in a section on reading, could only
  rate why they engage in the activity, for their
  own pleasure or to please their teacher, there
  was no way for the students to indicate that
  perhaps both those reasons could apply!!

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New Study by Lepper, Henderlong, and Iyengar

• Designed to address
• The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic
  motivation.
• Any significant age difference results when the
  constructs were each measured independently.
• How the two motivational orientations are related
  to academic outcomes.
• Are there any differences between European
  American students and Asian American students.

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New Study Findings

• Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational
  orientations are more correlated than previously
  thought. The real issue is not which motivation
  a student displays, but how much intrinsic or
  extrinsic they display.
• Intrinsic motivation was found to decline across
  grade levels, in other words, a first grader
  would be more likely to have more intrinsic
  motivation than a fifth grader. Why is this so?
  
• The greater use of extrinsically motivating
  factors as students progress through the school
  system.
• Learning is becoming decontextualized, the
  student sees little practical use in what they
  are learning.
• Students ability beliefs, and goal orientations
  are becoming much more negative than they used to
  be, i.e. I will never be good at this why
  should I try? I always get bad grades.

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What Does This Mean For Us?

1. We as future teachers need to assist our students
   in learning how to develop internalized
   motivation. This means students must learn to
   develop a reason to fulfill learning goals such
   as studying for a difficult test in a subject
   they hate. While studying to pass the test is
   one reason, a student can learn that such an
   activity is good for them, and while not being
   the most enjoyable of activities, it is a
   worthwhile one.