Table of Contents
• Basic Principles of
Motivation
• Essential Preconditions in
Motivating Students to
Learn
• Two General Categories
of Motivation
– Extrinsic
– Intrinsic
• Tips to Motivate Students
• Definition of Motivation
• Theories of Motivation
• 5 Factors that are the
Source of Motivation
• Sources of Motivational
Needs
• Applying Motivation to
the Classroom
– 6 C’s of Motivation
– Strategies for Enhancing
Motivation
– Encouraging Student Motivation
– Factors that Motivate a Bilingual
Classroom
Basic Principles of Motivation
• The environment can be used to focus the
student’s attention on what needs to be learned.
• Incentives motivate learning.
• Internal motivation is longer lasting and more self
directed than external motivation, which must be
reinforced repeatedly by praise or rewards
• Learning is most effective when an individual is
ready to learn.
Basic Principles Cont.
• Motivation is enhanced by the way the
instructional material is organized.
• Learning produces a mild level of anxiety
because it requires changes in beliefs and
behaviors.
• It is important to help each student set
goals and to provide informative feedback
regarding progress toward these goals.
• Affiliation and approval are strong
motivators.
• Behaviors result from a combination of
motives.
Essential Preconditions in
Motivating Students to Learn
• A SUPPORTIVE
ENVIRONMENT
• AN APPROPRIATE
LEVEL OF
DIFFICULTY
• A MEANINGFUL
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
Two General Categories of
Motivation
Extrinsic Incentives
 Rewards for good
performance
 Competition
 The instrumental value of
academic activities






Intrinsic Incentives
Incorporate games into
learning
Immediate feedback
Allow students to make
choices
Provide opportunities for
students to respond
actively
Incorporate higher level
objectives
Peer interaction
Tips to Motivate Students
Be enthusiastic
Show an interest in your own learning
Model task related thinking
Reduce conflict
Induce curiosity
Build suspense
Minimize performance anxiety
Relate activities to real life situations to stress
value
Definitions of Motivation
• Internal state or condition that activates
behavior and gives it direction
• Desire or want that energizes and directs
goal oriented behavior
• Influence of needs and desires on the
intensity and direction of behavior.
• The arousal, direction, and persistence of
behavior
Theories of Motivation
• A learned behavior will not occur unless it is
energized.
• Classical Conditioning – Biological responses to
associated stimuli energize and direct behavior
• Motivation = Expectancy X Instrumentality X
Value
• Social Learning Theory suggests that modeling
(imitating others) and vicarious learning (watching
others have consequences applied to their
behavior) are important behavioral motivators.
5 Factors that are the Source of
Motivation
• Instrumental Motivation (rewards and
punishments)
• Intrinsic Process Motivation (enjoyment, fun)
• Goal Internalization (self-determined values and
goals)
• Internal Self Concept-based Motivation (matching
behavior with internally developed ideal self)
• External Self Concept-based Motivation
(matching behavior with externally developed
ideal self)
Sources of Motivational Needs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obtain pleasant consequences or
avoid unpleasant consequences
Imitate positive models
Be a part of a group
Increase/decrease stimulation
Decrease hunger, thirst, discomfort
Maintain Balance
Maintain attention to something
interesting
Develop meaning
Increase/Decrease uncertainty
Solve a problem
Make a decision
Eliminate threats or risks
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increase positive feelings
Decrease negative feelings
Increase security of self-esteem
Maintain levels of optimism and
enthusiasm
Meet individually selected goals
Obtain personal dream
Develop self-efficacy
Take control of one’s life
Eliminate threats to obtaining
dream
Reduce other’s control of one’s life
Understand purpose of one’s life
Connect self to ultimate unknowns
Applying Motivation to the
Classroom
• Six C’s of Motivation
• Strategies for
Enhancing Motivation
• Encouraging Student
Motivation
• Factors that Motivate a
Bilingual Classroom
Six C’s of Motivation
 CHOICE
 COLLABORATION
 CHALLENGE
 CONSTRUCTING
MEANING
 CONTROL
 CONSEQUENCES
Strategies for Enhancing
Motivation
• Make the conditions that surround the subject positive.
• Positively confront the misguided beliefs, expectations,
and assumptions that may underlie a negative learner
attitude.
• Reduce or remove components of the leaning environment
that lead to failure or fear.
• Plan activities to allow learners to meet esteem needs.
• Change style and content of the learning activity.
• Make learner reaction and involvement essential parts of
the learning processes.
• Use learner concerns to organize content and to develop
teaching procedures.
Strategies Cont.
• Provide consistent feedback regarding mastery of learning.
• Acknowledge the learner’s responsibility in Use a group
cooperation goal to maximize learner involvement.
• completing the learning task.
• Allow the natural consequences of learning to be
congruently evident.
• Provide artificial reinforcement when it contributes to
successful learning and provide closure with a positive
ending.
Strategies Cont.
• Students are more active in their
learning when they have an
expectation that they will use the
materials being taught rather than
only being tested on them. When
students believe they are going to
apply the content, they develop a
greater conceptual understanding
of the content, enjoy the material
more, and become more
intrinsically motivated to further
purse the topic.
Strategies Cont.
• Learning increases when
students study materials
that are interesting to
them. Interesting
materials attract attention.
Students are intrinsically
motivated to engage in
tasks that are novel,
optimally challenging, or
pertaining to their daily
lives.
Strategies Cont.
• High levels of anxiety decrease cognitive performance.
• Students may choose to avoid failure by minimizing
participation either through noninvolvement in class
activities, absenteeism, procrastination, or by not trying.
• Students who doubt their abilities may give up trying as a
defensive measure to protect feelings of self-worth.
• A student’s motivation to learn is based upon the
expectation of success and the value place on the task.
• Students will not have the confidence to tackle tasks that
they perceive as being too difficult.
Strategies Cont.
• Instruction must be kept at an appropriate level for each
student.
• Assignments should be modified for different students.
• Assist students in setting goals that are reasonable and
obtainable.
• Teach students that achievement is directly related to
effort.
• Show interest in activities to let your students know that
you enjoy the content.
• Use real life examples when teaching.
Strategies Cont.
•
•
•
•
Use of technology
Scaffolding
Use ambiguity occasionally
Help students develop an internal Locus of
Control
• Offer open-ended activities to develop
creativity
• Teach students to evaluate themselves
Strategies Cont.
• Provide opportunities
for students to actively
participate.
• Provide opportunities
for students to interact
with peers by
encouraging group
work.
Encouraging Student Motivation
• Build in rewarding opportunities for social
interaction
• Provide audiences for student work
• Reduce the “effort” needed to complete an
assignment
• Connect academic requirements to real-world
situations
• Offer students meaningful choice where ever
possible
• Make learning fun
Factors that Motivate a Bilingual
Classroom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teamwork
Fun
Enjoyment of success
Active
Flexibility and creativity
Tangible thinking
Outside the classroom activities
References
• http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/mot
ivation.html
• http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/6cxmotivation
.htm
• http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/
interventions/motivation.shtml
• http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/acl/bae3
7.shtml