MOTIVATION

Keys to Learning

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DEFINITION: MOTIVATION

• Motivation: the personal investment that an individual has in reaching a desired state or outcome (Maehr & Meyer, 1997 in Ambrose et al,

2010).o In the context of learning, motivation

influences the direction, intensity, persistence, and quality of the learning behaviors in which students engage.(Ambrose, et al, 2010)

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DEFINITION: MOTIVATION

Principle:

Students’ motivation generates, directs, and sustains what they do.

o Valueo Expectancyo Environment

(Ambrose et al, 2010)

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A WORD ABOUT GOALS

Goal refers to what the person is motivated to do. Need to remember:

o Multiple goals in operation simultaneously: performance goals, learning goals, work-avoidant goals, affective goals and social goals

o Students’ goals for themselves probably different from our goals for them

o Students who hold multiple types of goals more successful than those with just one type

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MOUnderstanding Motivation: Ambrose et al, p. 80

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AREAS OF CONCERN

• Hopeless– See value but dubious about

abilities– Perceive little support from

environment– Behave in helpless fashions

• Defiant– See value and confident of

abilities– Perceive little or no support

from environment– Take “I’ll show you” attitude

• Fragile– See value but dubious

about abilities– Perceive support from

environment– Protect self-esteem

• Feigning understanding

• Avoiding performance

• Denying difficulty• Making excuses

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AREAS OF CONCERN

• Rejecting– Care little about goal– Little confidence in

abilities– Same behavior in

BOTH supportive and unsupportive climate!

– Students apathetic, alienated, passive

– Perceive supportive efforts as coercive or pressuring

• Evading– See little value in goal– Confident in abilities to

succeed– Same behavior in

BOTH supportive and unsupportive climate

– Difficulty paying attention, preoccupied

– Avoids overt disapproval or stigma of poor grade by doing minimal work

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ENVIRONMENT

Environment is the broader context (classroom, institution, family, society) in which value and expectancies operate.

Who establishes environment?

What can we as instructors offer with regards to environment?

Are there environmental factors we cannot control?

How should we focus our efforts?

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VALUE

Value is the (subjective) importance of a goalThree Types of Value:

Attainment: satisfaction gained from mastery/accomplishment of goal or task

Intrinsic: satisfaction gained from simply doing task rather than outcome

Instrumental: satisfaction based on how much goal achievement or activity helps accomplish larger goalA biology student derives value from solving challenging problems (attainment), engaging her fascination with biological processes (intrinsic), and advances her chances of getting into med school (instrumental).

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VALUE

Value is the (subjective) importance of a goal.

Who establishes value?

What can we as instructors offer with regards to value?

Are there value factors we cannot control?

How should we focus our efforts?

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EXPECTANCIES

Expectancies are the beliefs people hold about whether or not they expect to be successful in achieving a goal.

Who establishes expectancies?

What can we as instructors offer with regards to expectancies?

Are there expectancy factors we cannot control?

How should we focus our efforts?

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EXPECTANCIES

Student expectations for success are based on:o Learner self-efficacyo Difficulty of the goalo Prior experienceo Skill matchingo Encouragement and modeling of otherso Learner Beliefs

• Self esteem/self-confidence• Nature of intelligence or ability: fixed or malleable

• Attribution theory

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ATTRIBUTION

Student attributes outcomes to:

– Internal causes ( malleable ability, innate talent)

– Controllable causes (effort, persistence, preparation)

Expects future success!

Student attributes outcomes to:

– External causes (easy/hard assignment, bad teacher)

– Uncontrollable factors (luck, fixed ability/lack of talent, class structure)

Does not expect future success!

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EXPECTANCIES

Expectancies are the beliefs people hold about whether or not they expect to be successful in achieving a goal.

Who establishes expectancies?

What can we as instructors offer with regards to expectancies?

Are there expectancy factors we cannot control?

How should we focus our efforts?

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EXPECTANCIES

How can we help students with self-efficacy and keep them motivated?

Metacognition!“Metacognitive interventions…may be an especially powerful tool in helping the “academically adrift” student find a way to get into the game, to become more aware of the kind of thinking that supports strong academic performance.” Ottenhoff, Liberal Education (handout)

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SVINICKI’S SEVEN STRATEGIES

• Be a good role model of appropriate motivation.• Choose learning tasks with utility, challenge and interest

value. • Encourage accurate student self-efficacy about the course.• Base evaluation on progress or absolute level achieved to

produce mastery goal orientation.• Encourage attributing success to effort and interpreting

mistakes as learning opportunities. • Provide choice and/or control over goals or strategies to the

learner. • Communicate high expectations that are in line with student

capabilities.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BibliographyAmbrose, S., M. Bridges, M. DiPietro, M. Lovett, & M. Norman. (2010).

How Learning Works. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Cross, K. P. (2005). What Do We Know About Students’ Learning and How

Do We Know It?”. Center for Studies in Higher Education. University of California, Berkeley, CSHE.7.05.

Davis, B.G., (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Svinicki, M. (2004). Learning and Motivation in the Postsecondary

Classroom. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.