What techniques can be used to create intrinsic motivation for students using organized and engaging classroom atmosphere?
My topic began off as more centered on classroom management because of difficulties that I had during my previous teaching experiences, mainly through coaching. I was most concerned about being able to control my class in order to allow the greatest number of students to learn. As I thought more deeply about my question and rational for the question however I realized that, my initial thoughts had been misguided. I do not believe that management is as important as motivating the students to want to learn and be engaged in the subject matter. I think that if they are engaged in the material that they will want to focus and behave because they respect the material and their teacher. This is how I came to find my inquiry question. I wanted to explore how to create an intrinsic motivation within my students to have them want to learn social studies and want to work hard in my class to achieve it. I would ideally like to challenge the students with a critically thinking classroom that focuses on objectivity and opinions of students and I think that this question will be the most effective way to achieve the classroom I envision.
Key Terms:
Intrinsic Motivation – Motivation that comes from within and drives the pursuit of a certain goal.
Extrinsic Motivation – Motivation that is prompted by an exterior stimulus
Atmosphere – The feeling within the class that ideally promotes objective learning on difficult and complex topics.
BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, it is nonprofessional terms where most people can easily understand the language. (Gunderson , D’Silva, & Odo, 2014, p. 39)
CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, academic language that is often used in scholarly articles on a topic. (Gunderson , D’Silva, & Odo, 2014, p. 40)
Project Based Learning – An educational theory where the class is based on large overarch projects that connect the information and allow students to interact and use that information. (Lam, 2009, pp. 365-367)
Self-Regulated Learning – A theory being implemented by the BCTF where they are doing an inquiry type project that allows them to critically explore a piece of content. (Perry & Winne, 2013)
Constructive Feedback – Feedback that helps guide the student towards growth in their learning through analysis of their work.
Annotated Bibliography
Alberta Education, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. (2007). Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools: A classroom approach . Behaviour, Observation, Assessment and Teaching, 5-29.
Positive relationships are the basis for any classroom based approach is the main message for this piece. The document focuses on strategies teachers can use to create an effective classroom atmosphere. It is not an academic document and uses BICS language in order to allow the teachers using it to easily understand the strategies outlined. There is a slight focus on more management techniques for the classroom but the first half focuses more on a learning atmosphere in a class and having your students intrinsically motivated to be a part of your classroom vision. Noncontingent positive reinforcement is a key part in making sure students are able to develop intrinsic motivation because it demonstrates to them that you care about them and are willing to support them in their pursuit of learning. The sense of security and trust within the class will help the students be motivated to want to work with you on the material and be invested in the classes content. The other main strategy the reading gives for building motivation is the use of anticipation to build excitement and make them want to participate and learn in class. This is a good document and gives very usable strategies that can be used in the classroom to promote intrinsic motivation and have a good classroom atmosphere built on strong student – teacher relationships. The biggest problem with the reading is that some of its suggestions are childish and have a more elementary feel to them.
Clark, P. (2000). Equity: How Can We Use Effective Teaching Methods To Boost Student Achievement? Columbus: Ohio State University.
This source is a small article that outlines strategies for a teacher to use in order to create an atmosphere conducive to a high level of achievement. In order to achieve this the students must be intrinsically motivated in the class and the material which drew me to the article. The source is very considerate of ensuring gender equality within the classroom and it is in this portion of it that I found most useful. A problem I had with this is the part that is more focused on achievement rather than creating an effective atmosphere. I think it does not properly hit on the intention of school because it is putting too much emphasis on the marks a student gets rather than focusing on their learning. The part that I would like to bring into my own teaching is allowing the students more freedom in their learning because I believe that it makes students much more engaged in the class and allows them to easily become intrinsically motivated.
Cooper, K. S. (2014). Eliciting Engagement in the High School Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Teaching Practices. American Educational Research Journal, 363–402.
The article is based on the theory that there has yet to be a systematic approach to the engagement of students in the secondary classroom. They address this issue with their study which is based off the study of 581 schools to see how engagement differs from classroom to classroom. This approach was very exciting for me in my inquiry because I believe it allows for a multitude of solutions to be tested and contrasted in different environments. One thing that surprised me was that only 36% of the students in the study went to school because they were interested in the topic, it demonstrated to me how important it is to engage students and try and intrinsically motivate them. (Cooper, 2014, p. 373 – 374.) They identify Identity development as the primary factor of intrinsic motivation for students which I am excited about bringing into my practice. Connecting my students emotionally to the class and the content as well as myself is a challenge I look forward to and is the most important section of the reading because it is not only very usable but it is grounded in rigorous academia and study.
Lam, S. C. (2009). Teacher and student intrinsic motivation in project-based learning. Instructional Science, 565-578.
The main thesis of this article is that the intrinsic motivation for students is predicated by an intrinsic motivation from the teacher. The need for the instructor to have intrinsic motivation in order to inspire it in students is a factor that was over looked in many of the other readings and is something that I believe to be crucial to my inquiry question. The amount of interest and passion a teacher has for a topic really can come through to the students and help them connect with the material as well. One of the weakness of this piece is that it is based on Hong Kong schools which are in a very different culture with a drastically different approach to education. The different culture is however not overly impactful on the main thesis as I believe their main premise of setting the example for motivation yourself can be effective cross culturally. Another problem is how specific it is to only project based learning but I also do not believe this is a critical weakness as it does not make the premise invalid for other types of learning. The other factor they argue is a major part of intrinsic motivation for students is perceived support from their instructor, this is also a very strong argument and links back to the main thesis because if the teacher is motivated they will most likely be more available to support their students. The article as a whole is very useful and was crucial in my exploration of my inquiry topic. It does not give as many solutions as others but is more critical and objective of the mindsets that lead to uninspired education.
Perry, N., & Winne, P. (2013, March). Keys to promoting self-regulated learning . Retrieved December 1, 2014, from BC Teachers’ Federation: http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=29340
Self-Regulated Learning is a new method that is currently being experimented by the BCTF and the description of it on the website outlines it as inquiry based and dependent on motivation. This s how I believe it connects to my question is because it is regulated by the self and therefore requires a great deal of intrinsic motivation from the students to ensure that they are critically assessing their topic in an objective manner. The most important piece of information I took from this article was the explanation that in order to have motivated students that are capable of doing the assignment the teacher needs to keep the students in Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. This means the material will still be challenging for the students and promote the necessary critical thought while keeping them motivated rather than being too hard or easy where it would be easy for the students to lose motivation. The article is not ideal as far as giving strategies because it only really gives two different ones but it does an excellent job of being understandable and allowing the teacher reading it to feel excited to give self-regulated learning a try. I would be interested to see how this method of teaching would affect a student’s intrinsic motivation, they do allude that it will be positive influence.
Roman , D. (2007). Teaching Strategies Used to Maintain Classroom Order. Detroit, Michigan: Marygrove College .
This report is looking at how different classroom organizational and management strategies effect the learning within the classroom. This link to the organization section of my question and allowed me to look further into how to keep my class under control while allowing them the freedom to still develop and intrinsic motivation to study the subject material. The document specifically outlines an intrinsic model of class where the students have more control over themselves. Having the students help with the creation of classroom policies is a way that you can not only involve the student in the classroom management while also improving their intrinsic motivation by making them more invested in the class. This is the approach that I would be most inclined to take from this research paper because it allows the students to contribute to the class while reinforcing the need for maturity and focus within the class. Overall the research in the paper was very sold and compelling, I felt like it missed the point of classroom management with some of the strategies suggested in it but over all I believe it was a solid dissertation that will be very beneficial to my inquiry topic.
The Canadian Education Association, Ontario Institute in Studies in Education. (2011, April 19). The Facts on Education: How Best To Motivate Students? Retrieved December 1, 2014, from The Canadian Education Association: http://www.cea-ace.ca/publication/facts-education-how-best-motivate-students
Although this is a short pamphlet like document I found that it still contained a lot of usable strategies to help teachers generate intrinsic motivation within their classroom. The document does have a slight elementary school feel to it but the strategies that are suggested in it can be used at any age and be equally effective. The main strategies that are outlined are, Relevance, Choice, Recognizing Effort, Feedback, and Teaching Methods and Tools. The most relevant ones that I noticed were the need to have timely and constructive feedback that can give them something to work towards without discouraging them and hurting their motivation. The other section that I found particularly useful was making the topics relevant. As a Social Studies teacher I believe this is one of the most important things you can do because it allows the students to connect with you subject material. I would have appreciated more depth on how to achieve the methods outlined but I still found the document very useful even though it was brief.
The Ontario Public Service. (2013). Creating a Positive Classroom Environment. Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being, pp. 16-19.
This article does focus on mental health and therefore makes most of its points in order to promote a safe classroom atmosphere where students can feel safe. It does however link this safe classroom environment with many other benefits, one of the being a more motivated student body within the class. If students feel emotionally healthy and confident then they are much more likely to be more engaged in the class discussions and therefore become invested in the subject and increase their intrinsic motivation. The document does a good job of being usable by teacher and not being too wordy or overly using CALP language. This is because it is a government created guide to help Ontario Teachers cope with student with mental disorders. The creation of such an inclusive classroom is something I would like to take from this article because I believe that allowing students to grow more confident in you class will also increase their motivation to participate more and create a much more effective learning environment.
Wiesman, J. (2012). Student Motivation and the Alignment of Teacher Beliefs. The Clearing House, 102–108.
This article is unique in the fact that it outlines the causes of a lack of motivation in secondary classrooms, stating that the students motivation gradually begins to decrease in middle school as other interests of theirs become more important. I believe that this is an important point and is very useful in my inquiry. It also suggests that students and teacher will have different opinions on the effectiveness of certain motivational techniques, through this it suggests that students have more intrinsic motivation than educators give them credit for and that the teacher’s character does not have as significant of an impact as many teachers believe. The use of statistics and charts in this article make it one of the most useful one I found and especially because it approaches the problem of student motivation from a different angle. The students in the study stated that goal setting was the most effective motivation for them and that their second most important was their intrinsic desire to learn and do well in school. I will be using the information I gained from this article extensively in my practice as a teacher, ensuring that I look at the matter of motivation objectively and do not just look at it through my eyes as the teacher. I believe than an effective method of goal setting is to have the students set out their own goals at the beginning of the term and throughout the term to check in on their goals and help them in achieving them.
Yıldırım, S. (2012). Teacher Support, Motivation, Learning Strategy Use, and Achievement: A Multilevel Mediation Model. Journal of Experimental Education, 150-172.
This study focuses on how the classroom social environment effects the intrinsic motivation of students. One of their major findings was that the student’s belief about how well they were going to do in a particular subject or on a particular assignment greatly affected their intrinsic motivation. This is an important point that I took out of the article because it highlighted the importance of not intimidating students and allowing them to feel confident in class. It is very hard for a student to be motivated when they feel like they are not going to be successful no matter how hard they try. In order to combat this it is the teacher’s job to be encouraging in class and to prepare the students properly for the challenges they may face in order to equip them with all the tools to be a successful intrinsically motivated learner. The other major finding they had was the perceived helpfulness of the teacher was important in the student’s achievement which is a sentiment that has been echoed in many of the other studies. The article overall was very helpful to my topic but I did find that it was not very well organized and therefore was very difficult to read and comprehend.
Zhu, Y. &. (2011). Motivation and Achievement: Is There an East Asisan Model? International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, 1189-1212.
This article begins by stating the importance of motivation in the process of learning, especially when it comes to having students sustain their learning. They also argue in the reading that extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are not necessarily polar opposites but that extrinsic motivation can be an aid when intrinsic motivation is low. I do not think that this is necessarily true, I believe that it is a lesser motivation that is not as effective as intrinsic. If the motivation for the student is not coming from within it cannot be as effective for their pursuit of learning. Extrinsic motivation is shown to be more effective in Eastern Asia in comparison to North America where intrinsic is much more effective. Intrinsic motivation is still said to be more effective in both areas but the difference is the Eastern Asia results had a much smaller gap between the two styles of motivation. This article was difficult to get through and had a lot of information about motivation that did not contribute to my inquiry question. The most useful part of it was the fact that it gave an alternate view of motivation that was unique from the other articles.
Bibliography
Alberta Education, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. (2007). Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools: A classroom approach . Behaviour, Observation, Assessment and Teaching, 5-29.
Clark, P. (2000). Equity: How Can We Use Effective Teaching Methods To Boost Student Achievement? Columbus: Ohio State University.
Cooper, K. S. (2014). Eliciting Engagement in the High School Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Teaching Practices. American Educational Research Journal, 363–402.
Lam, S. C. (2009). Teacher and student intrinsic motivation in project-based learning. Instructional Science, 565-578.
Perry, N., & Winne, P. (2013, March). Keys to promoting self-regulated learning . Retrieved December 1, 2014, from BC Teachers’ Federation: http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=29340
Roman , D. (2007). Teaching Strategies Used to Maintain Classroom Order. Detroit, Michigan: Marygrove College .
The Canadian Education Association, Ontario Institute in Studies in Education. (2011, April 19). The Facts on Education: How Best To Motivate Students? Retrieved December 1, 2014, from The Canadian Education Association: http://www.cea-ace.ca/publication/facts-education-how-best-motivate-students
The Ontario Public Service. (2013). Creating a Positive Classroom Environment. Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being, pp. 16-19.
Wiesman, J. (2012). Student Motivation and the Alignment of Teacher Beliefs. The Clearing House, 102–108.
Yıldırım, S. (2012). Teacher Support, Motivation, Learning Strategy Use, and Achievement: A Multilevel Mediation Model. Journal of Experimental Education, 150-172.
Zhu, Y. &. (2011). Motivation and Achievement: Is There an East Asisan Model? International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, 1189-1212.