Attribution Theory and Increasing Student Sense of Responsibility: Creating Motivating Syllabi'

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Attribution Theory and Increasing Student Sense
of Responsibility Creating Motivating Syllabi.

• Christopher Was
• Kent State University

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Motivation
includes
includes
Attributions
includes
Self-efficacy
Goal orientations Intrinsic motivation Hope/fear S
ense of control
Modified by
Teacher
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Attribution Theory

• The need to explain the
• causes of success and failure

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Achievement tasks
Achievement related behavior
Success or failure
Causal Cognitions
Emotional Response
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Attribution Theory
LOCUS OF CONTROL
Am I smart or what?
Math is hard.
Man, I got lucky.
I studied a lot.
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Attribution Theory
LOCUS OF CONTROL
External failure and success often have little
impact on affect, but can lead to negative
behavior changes.
Internal failure leads to shame, while internal
success leads to pride.
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Modification to Weiners Attribution Theory

• Attribution theory was modified to include a
  third dimension
• Locus or Control
• Stability
• Controllability

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The Third Dimension of Attribution Theory
UNCONTROLABLE
Intelligence is a set of malleable skills, that
increases with effort
CONTROLABLE
Intelligence is a stable, unchanging entity
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Dwecks Theory of Theories of Intelligence
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Robins and Pals, 2002
Performance Oriented
.17
.30
Entity Theory
LearnedHelpless Response
.14
-.26
-.23
Mastery Oriented
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Was, 2006
Mastery Oriented
Incremental Theory
.78
-.13
Performance Ego/Social
-.37
.58
Entity Theory
Performance Work Avoidant
.42
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The Third Dimension of Attribution Theory
UNCONTROLABLE
Students perception of their ability to put
forward effort
CONTROLABLE
Self-regulation
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Undermining Self-Regulation

• The evaluation of success is typically public and
  is seen by students as pervasive.
• Teachers typically do not know how students are
  feeling about themselves and what they have
  learned.
• Students seldom have much say in goal setting.
• Students seldom have much control over the rate
  at which they learn.

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Increasing Self-Regulation

• Task comprehension
• Challenge
• Goals
• Specific
• Immediate
• Moderately difficult

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Increasing Internal LOC

• What to avoid that may undermine students
  feelings of control.
• Easy tasks
• Unsolvable tasks
• Lack of diverse opportunities to display learning
• Student-teacher interactions that might increase
  feelings of control
• Take personal interest
• Show you are an expert who can complete these
  tasks.
• Display your teaching skill
• Model

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component
Provide practice
Effective Modeling
component
Make explicit
provide
demonstrate
Rationale
component
Strategies
give
Supervised Practice all
example
example
Model all
demonstrate
Unsupervised Practice
Model part
Model part
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Deci's Theory of Intrinsic Motivation

• Three Factors Which Enhance Intrinsic Motivation
• Feedback frequent, specific, and immediate
• Optimal Challenge
• CHOICE (AUTONOMY)

Challenges
Anxiety
Performance and motivation
Boredom
Ability
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The Third Dimension of Attribution Theory
UNCONTROLABLE
CONTROLLED BY THE TEACHER
CONTROLABLE
WHAT IF THE TEACHER ALLOWED STUDENT CHOICE?
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Factors Undermining Intrinsic Motivation

• Locus of Control
• classroom and tasks
• Controlling aspects of rewards
• Rules
• Communication

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Increasing Internal LOC

• What can teachers do in relation to rewards and
  grades to increase student belief that they have
  control?
• Be clear about course rules/expectations
• Emphasize criteria used in grading
• Show students how they have or have not met
  criteria
• Anticipate excuses and create opportunities to
  undermine excuses

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Providing ChoiceSyllabus

• Set goal 550-600 A, 500-549 B, 450-499 C
• Assessment Choices and available points
• 400 pts in exams 4 x100 (complete 2-4)
• 300 pts in Major Written 3 x100 (complete 1-3)
• 300 pts in Minor written 6 x 50 ( complete 2-6)
• Total pts attempted cannot exceed 600
• You can include pts for extra credit, give
  quizzes, and provide other opportunities to get
  points

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Providing ChoiceExams

• Allow students to buy out of essays or multiple
  choice.
• N multiple choice questions each worth 2 pts
• 5 essays worth 6 points each
• Must complete 1 essay
• For each of the other essays answered skip 3 MC

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Providing ChoiceQuizzes

• 10 multiple choice questions.
• First 5 1pt each
• Questions 6-9 worth 2 pts each
• Question 10 worth 3 pts
• Students only allowed to answer 5 questions.
• Students learn to study for more difficult
  questions to increase their grades.
• Allow student to substitute 5 quiz grades for 1
  test score

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Providing ChoiceExams

• 40 multiple choice questions.
• First 20 1pt each
• Next 15 questions worth 2 pts each
• Last 5 questions worth 3 pts each
• Students only allowed to answer 25 questions.
  However, you can restrict the number of 1 pt
  questions students can answer (e.g., min 10,
  max15).
• Students learn to study for more difficult
  questions to increase their grades.

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Teacher characteristics that promote motivation

• Personal Teaching Efficacy
• Teacher Modeling and Enthusiasm
• Research shows that enthusiastic teachers
  increase learner autonomy, self-efficacy and
  achievement
• Model enthusiasm by communicating genuine
  interest in the topic
• Teacher caring teachers investing in the
  development and learning of studentsinvesting
  time