Student motivation

Students and Motivation

Students who are focused, dedicated, and motivated to learn have some characteristics in common and are motivated by a particular set of factors. Few teachers would disagree that motivated pupils or those who are interested in learning make for smoother lessons. Intrinsic motivators may include interest in a subject, a desire for achievement, significance to one’s own life, as well as a desire to accomplish more (Cerasoli, Nicklin & Ford, 2014). On the other hand, extrinsic motivators are those that are classified as parental expectations, awards, good marks, and a focus on course study.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Students may not exhibit many intrinsic motivations in the classroom, especially when it comes to courses they may believe have little bearing on their future. Nevertheless, evidence shows that intrinsic motivation gives a level of satisfaction while also promoting competence and achievement for the student.

Differences Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Perhaps students who are intrinsically motivated do what interests them; they enjoy, and feel good when they succeed. However, extrinsically motivated students have a lot of expectations from other sources (Cerasoli, Nicklin & Ford, 2014). They may feel bad if they fail an exam because a scholarship may be canceled, or not get a reward. Both motivators are vital tools in learning and education environment.

Self-Motivation and Learning

Self-motivation in learning has been related to more success as the subject is emphasized rather than rewards that could interfere with a student’s focus. However, the process of training students to adapt intrinsic motivation as it could be lengthy (Cerasoli, Nicklin & Ford, 2014). Most importantly, each student has to be assessed to determine their personal interest for the intrinsic motivation to be effective. Extrinsic motivators involve little effort when preparing as prior knowledge or interests are not needed concerning the student. Evidently, devising the rewards can be challenging and the students can be easily distracted. Indeed, creativity is required to maintain the required levels while still motivating the students.

Reference

Cerasoli, C. P., Nicklin, J. M., & Ford, M. T. (2014). Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A 40-year meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 980.