As educators, motivation is something that we think about often. Motivation as a whole gets talked about all the time when teachers are sharing about what goes on in their classrooms. We all want to know how to harness and increase motivation with our students so they can be engaged independent learners who are successful and productive. First, we need to look at what motivation actually is.

“Motivation is an internal state or condition (sometimes described as a need, desire, or want) that serves to activate or energize behavior and give it direction” (Huitt, 2011).

Motivation is the drive an individual has that serves to not only give our behavior direction but also energize it or put it into action. So motivation isn’t just about wanting to get that good grade but also actually getting out of bed and getting to the library to work on what needs to be done. Now there are two main sources of motivation that we need to understand when it comes to our educational practice and students- intrinsic and extrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation is motivation that is sources from things outside one’s self. It means that someone is “motivated to perform a task as a means to an end, not as an end in itself” (Omrod, 2010). In a classroom this could be prizes, good grades, extra credit for completing extra work. The motivation is coming from something other that the task itself.

Intrinsic motivation is when this drive comes from reasons within. Ryan and Desi (2000) state that an “intrinsically motivated a person is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because of external prods, pressures, or rewards.” What does this look like with our students? Independent, self motivated learners are able to use strategies to self start on complicated tasks, know how to get unstuck, and can get information from their longterm memory (Hammond, 2015). They are motivated to learn because they have some kind of connection or interest in it.

Is there a place for both types of motivation in our classrooms? The answer is yes, but both have different consequences on learning.

Oromod (2010) says that “in some instances, extrinsic motivation—perhaps in the form of extrinsic reinforcers for academic achievement or productive behavior—may be the only thing that can get students on the road to successful classroom learning and productive behavior. Yet intrinsic motivation is ultimately what will sustain students over the long run. It will encourage them to make sense of and apply what they are studying and will increase the odds that they will continue to read and learn about writing, science, history, and other academic subject matter long after they have left their formal education behind.”

We all know that there are just some days that you will need rewards and other external motivation to get through the day, but fostering intrinsic motivation is what will help us achieve our goal of helping our students to become lifelong independent learners because “intrinsically motivated people try harder and longer, perform more flexibly and creatively, and learn more deeply than extrinsically motivated people” (Sheldon, 2013). This video is geared towards business but many of the ideas can be applied to education and why intrinsic motivation is important. That being said, we do have to consider the possible effects of the undermining student’s intrinsic motivation with external rewards. This has been called  the “overjustification effect” (Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett, 1973). This suggests that we need to be very careful with how we give external rewards so we don’t stifle any intrinsic motivation a student might already be coming to us with.

So know that intrinsic motivation is the longer lasting, more valuable kind of motivation for creating lifelong learners, the next question is how do we create a space in which our students can increase their intrinsic motivation?  

The major key to unlocking students intrinsic motivation is looking into what kind of mindset they have. Hammond (2015) says that “often we misinterpret a student’s self doubt or negative mindset as a lack of engagement or motivation.” Many teachers feel frustrated with students when they don’t complete their homework or struggle to start a task. “It’s easy!” they say. These students are most like dependent learners who could really benefit from a change in mindset. Helping students to get a more positive sense of self efficacy, which is “the belief that you are capable of carrying out a specific task or of reaching a specific goal” (Seifert & Sutton, 2009) is a huge part of increasing intrinsic motivation. Hammond discusses how stress hormones get released when a student with low self-efficacy and a negative mindset tries to stretch themselves academically. This makes a lot of sense because many times these behaviors manifest as shutting down and avoidance. If this task is completely stressful why even try?

Hammond (2015) talks about how we, as their coach on the path of becoming independant learners, need to help students create counter narrative to the negative narrative that is playing in their head currently. We need to help them in interrupting and reframing their negative self talk and validate them when they are showing signs of an growth mindset. I believe that the most important precursor to teaching is to create a sense of community. A sense of belonging and creating stable relationships are at the core of what we do (as talked about in this really awesome TED talk). Once they feel that they belong, we can start to help them shift their mindset and increase self-efficacy- so school and learning can be more fun, valuable, and meaningful for everyone.

What ideas do you have for helping students develop a strong sense of intrinsic motivation?

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Citations

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a SAGE Company.

Huitt, W. (2011). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html

Lepper, M. R., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. E. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the” overjustification” hypothesis. Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 28(1), 129.

Ormrod, J. E. (2010). How motivation affects learning and behavior. Source: Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.

Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2009). Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). The Saylor Foundation.

Sheldon, K. M. (2013). Motivation: Internalized motivation in the classroom. Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors., 155-160.