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Motivation is best represented by the equation of energy plus direction. We become motivated when we set our sights on a goal, summon energy, and direct that energy toward behaviours that bring us closer to that goal. For learning to take place, students need to be motivated to engage in the work of a class. One of the principal jobs of an educator then, is to create learning environments that encourage student motivation.
Typically, motivation springs from two major sources. External, extrinsic motivations on the one hand, and internal, intrinsic motivations on the other. Extrinsic motivations largely involve carrots and sticks, and this is a lot of how traditional education works: do this and you’ll get a good grade. Do not, and you fail. But especially for complex tasks, such as those in college classrooms, intrinsic motivation is more effective. Intrinsic motivation is lit when the activity fulfils basic human needs, for autonomy, competence and relatedness. This idea that human beings are motivated by these three psychological needs is called self-determination theory.
You can maximise student learning in your courses by designing them with these three psychological needs in mind, creating fulfilling, productive learning environments.
Motivation is best represented by the equation: energy + direction. We become motivated when we set our sights on a goal, summon energy, and direct that energy toward behaviours that bring us closer to our goal. This energy comes in the form of physiological arousal and it manifests in activation (getting mobilised), intensity (how hard you work), and persistence (how long you keep at it) (Locke and Latham, 2013). Students in your courses need to be motivated to learn well. Motivation is required for them to mobilise the energy to work on classwork, to dedicate time and resources toward studying, and to persist in these behaviours over the course of the semester. If you, the instructor, can motivate your students through elements of course design, assignment construction, or even your own passion and enthusiasm for the material, students will work harder and more effectively—and presumably, learn better.
Typically, motivation springs from two main sources—external, extrinsic motivations and internal, intrinsic motivations. The former largely involves carrots and sticks, and this is how much of traditional education works. Do this work, and you will get a good grade. Do not, and you will fail.
But especially for complex tasks such as those in college classrooms, intrinsic motivation is more effective. Intrinsic motivation is lit when the activity fulfils basic human psychological needs for autonomy (choosing your own path and behaviors), competence (succeeding at existing tasks and mastering new skills), and relatedness (connecting with others socially). This idea that human beings are intrinsically motivated by autonomy, competence, and relatedness is called self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2020).
You can maximise student learning in your courses by designing them with these three psychological needs in mind, creating fulfilling, productive learning environments. Doing so can engender achievement motivation in particular—the desire to achieve excellence in one’s work (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, and Lowell, 1953). Importantly, research on achievement motivation indicates that emphasising mastery (related to personal competence and understanding) is more motivating than emphasising performance (related to social comparison and being judged; Urdan and Kaplan, 2020).
References:
Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (Eds.). (2013). New Developments In Goal Setting And Task Performance. Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.
McClelland, D. C., Atkinson, J. W., Clark, R. A., and Lowell, E. L. (1976). The Achievement Motive. Irvington.
Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation From A Self-Determination Theory Perspective: Definitions, Theory, Practices, And Future Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860.
Urdan, T., and Kaplan, A. (2020). The Origins, Evolution, And Future Directions Of Achievement Goal Theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101862.
Discussions
Thinking back over your teaching experiences and instances of courses where students seemed high in motivation versus low, what aspects of the learning experience seemed to relate to these variations?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.