The theories of motivation
I find most helpful are the cognitive and sociocultural theories, because I
feel that many of the things outlined in these theories as being causes of
motivations are things a teacher has some control over.
From the perspective of
the cognitive theory, students are more intrinsically motivated when they feel
like they have control and choice in what they do (self-determination). For a
teacher, this means that giving students some choice in how they approach an
assignment or what the topic could be will raise their motivation and
engagement in a task. This may require a bit more planning on the front end for
teachers, but things could still be assessed similarly. This could be as simple
as, in a unit on biography, having students choose a person to study. At the
same time, giving students choices like this will tell a teacher more about a
student’s interests and strengths, which will also help with motivation if the
teacher keeps them in mind for future planning.
The sociocultural theory
is about creating a classroom environment that values learning so that, within
that context, students will seek out learning experiences, and hopefully over
time, internalize the value of learning, even if only in an academic context.
Creating a classroom culture is probably a lot easier for an elementary school
teacher than a secondary school teacher, but luckily, I will be an elementary
school teacher, so I will have a lot of influence over the school experience of
a relatively small number of students. Creating the desired culture in the
classroom will happen in a lot of ways, from the way seating is structured, to
the kinds of assignments given, to the kind of things that are seen as
deserving of praise — for instance, asking good questions rather than just
having the right answers. It will have to be a conscious effort at first, but I
hope that eventually I will become attuned to what works in promoting my values
(and I mean that in the least brainwashing way possible).
It is good that you are thinking about how you can apply the theories of motivation in your actual classroom practice. You are right in noting that teachers only have control over some aspects of motivation. It definitely takes a conscious effort to establish good motivational practices in the classroom at first. A teacher who doesn't think about motivation will quickly find themselves struggling to keep their class engaged.
ReplyDelete