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Self-determination theory is a rich source of ideas for engendering motivation in the classroom, but an entire other literature also holds key insights as well, that of goal setting and goal striving. Human beings are optimistic creatures who expect the future to be better than the past. We anticipate that our future selves will be fitter, wealthier, and happier than our present states. One major way that we set goals is to view this future idealistic self and compare it to our present selves. The gap between the two, the ache that lives there, is motivating. It gives us a boost of energy.
Setting goals work to motivate behavior across multiple domains: fitness, finance, hobbies, education, career, eating healthy. People who intentionally engage in goal setting outperform and outachieve their non-goal setting controls. Research on academic goals that at the beginning of the semester indicate that setting goals in the context of a class can result in higher GPAs, which hopefully are associated with higher learning, better retention, and lower negative emotions. We know that goal setting works by focusing our attention on the work that needs to be done, mobilizing our efforts, giving us that boost of energy, prolonging persistence, and fostering new learning, all of which are critical components in the classroom.
Helping students to set goals for their assignments or their semesters can tap into a rich source of motivation. The best goals are those that are specific, difficult, measurable, realistic, and time-based. So consider, can you imagine having students set goals at the beginning of the semester or perhaps for a specific assignment? How could you encourage them to set goals that are specific, difficult but realistic, measurable, and time-based? So, what does all this look like practically speaking? How can we use insights from both self-determination theory and goal setting research to inform teaching and learning in the classroom? See ‘Practical things to try’ lesson for some inspirations.
Human beings are optimistic creatures who expect the future to be much better than the past. We anticipate that our future selves will be fitter, wealthier, and happier than our present states. One major way that we set goals for ourselves is to view this future, idealistic self and compare it to our present selves—the gap between the two, the ache that lives there, is motivating. It gives us a boost of energy.
Goals work. Across multiple domains—fitness, finance, hobbies, education, career, substance use reduction, eating healthy—people who intentionally engage in goal setting outperform and out achieve their non-goal setting controls, and do so with a decent size of effect (Locke and Latham, 2013).
In just one example of the power of goal setting in an academic setting, researchers recruited 85 students experiencing academic struggles into a study that lasted an academic semester (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, and Shore, 2010). Students were randomly assigned at the start of the study to complete one of two programs on a computer that involved responding to writing prompts and reflecting on one’s personal experience. One group’s activities centered around setting effective goals for their academic work that semester; the other group’s activities centered around thinking positively. Following the computerized programs the students went about their semesters with no differences between the groups—experiencing all the ups and downs of a busy semester and its associated work. At the end of the semester, the experimenters collected information on GPA and course loads from the college’s records, and participants reported on experiences of the semester. Remarkably, students in the goal setting intervention condition achieved significantly higher GPAs at the end of the semester than they had at the start of the semester, whereas students in the control condition showed no such increase. The goal setting group were also more likely to maintain a full course load over the semester and their experience of negative emotions decreased over time.
Helping students to set goals for their assignments or semesters can tap into a rich source of motivation. We know that goal setting works by focusing our attention on the work to be done, mobilising our efforts (that energy again), prolonging persistence, and fostering new learning—which are all critical components to the work of the classroom. The best goals are those that are specific, difficult, measurable, realistic, and time-based.
References:
Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (Eds.). (2013). New Developments In Goal Setting And Task Performance. Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.
Morisano, D., Hirsh, J. B., Peterson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., and Shore, B. M. (2010). Setting, Elaborating, And Reflecting On Personal Goals Improves Academic Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(2), 255–264.
Discussions
Can you imagine helping students set goals for the semester? Or perhaps for a specific assignment? How could you encourage them to set goals that are specific, difficult but realistic, measurable, and time-based?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.