Mighty Motivation

In class, we discussed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is when the student is self-motivated and is doing it in order to satisfy an internal goal. Extrinsic motivation is when a student is motivated by outside sources such as a reward.

For me, it depends on the subject and class on whether I am intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated. In a class I really enjoy and see the benefit of learning the material, I am intrinsically motivated. For example, in my education classes, I am very intrinsically motivated because I want to learn how to be a great teacher and am interested in doing well. I am motivated to learn because I know the material covered in these classes will be to my benefit in my future teaching career. The teacher doesn’t have to give me any kind of reward because I am motivated by internal means.

On the other hand, if I do not enjoy a class and do not see how the material covered will benefit me, then I am not motivated to learn at all or may be extrinsically motivated depending on the circumstance.  If I am rewarded for the effort and work I do, such as a good grade or an extra credit opportunity, then I am more likely to be motivated. This has occurred in many of my General Education classes and Spanish classes. In my Spanish classes, I did not see the point of learning old age poetry and did not see how it would benefit me.  I was not at all intrinsically motivated. The only reason I was motivated was to pass the class and receive at least the C that I needed to pass.

Having experienced both of these types of motivation helps me better understand my future students. There may be some subjects that students are really interested in and are motivated on their own, while other subjects or material may require some type of extrinsic reward.  As teachers, we need to learn how to make students intrinsically motivated by sparking their interest and keeping the curiosity alive. In addition, letting students have some control over their learning, as in choosing project topics or help create classroom rules will help students be intrinsically motivated. For the times when students are not, a reward may need to be given. As we discussed, the teacher needs to make sure these are unexpected and help keep the students motivated.

There are many ways to motivate children, whether it is intrinsically or extrinsically. As teachers, we need to find the balance and find out what works for each student. We need to know our students and figure out what motivates them and what makes them unmotivated. If children seem unmotivated, maybe the teacher needs to come up with a way to make the material more interesting. Students who are more motivated will learn better.

This article from Vanderbilt is a great resource for an overview of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It  details some of the advantages as well as disadvantages for each type of motivation. Also, you can check out this short video that helps you see the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how to help children become intrinsically motivated.