Student Motivation Intrinsic motivation The ways in which the brain naturally motivated from within. V. Thanikachalam
Cognitive system
Teachers are continuing to teach to the cognitive system of the brain. Teachers are providing access to the world of knowledge. Why, then, aren’t they motivated to learn?
Cognitive knowledge
All students must acquire master standards. All must pass university examinations in distinction. These do not happen. All learning does not begin in the cognitive system.
Where does learning begin? ď Ž ď Ž
In the self-system. It happens with or without input.
Learning process ď Ž ď Ž
Students will be motivated to learn. Students complete learning tasks when they are directly involved in the learning process from the beginning.
Self-system (Marzno 2001)
“Once the self-system has determined what will be attended to the functioning of all other elements thought are to a certain extent, decided or determined”
Elements of thought
Self-system Metacognitive system Cognitive system Knowledge domain
Motivation ď Ž ď Ž
Crucial to learning Remembering
Utility of motivation
Relates to the drive to do something. Drives to study new things. Encourages to try again when we fail.
Intrinsic motivation
Our goal is to guide students to use innate drive for intrinsic motivation. Drive to do something just the joy of doing. Gradually wean students from external rewards.
Sources of intrinsic motivation
Drive that comes from within. Do something for the sheer joy of doing it. Motive to discover some thing. Feeling of self-accomplishment.
Environment of students ď Ž
ď Ž
Do only those things for which, they receive a tangible reward will be less intrinsically motivated. More difficult to break the pattern of rewards for work.
Learning and belief ď Ž
ď Ž
ď Ž
Learned to disregard that natural intrinsic motivation in favor of tangible rewards. Believe locus of control comes from outside sources. Learned early on to look to outside rewards from motivation.
Intrinsic motivation
It comes from within. From the self- and metacognitive systems are to be activated positively. Work hard for their own satisfaction in learning and doing.
Perceived value of tasks
Is to paramount. Work on the goals they set. They are motivated. Efficient. More active
Self-system and the metacognitive systems ď Ž
Built around those characteristics that lead themselves to intrinsic motivation.
Guidance for self-system
Self-concept Self-efficiency Belief that one can achieve.
Metacognitive system ď Ž
ď Ž
Built around personal goal setting and follow-through Happen without outside rewards.
Rewards
Extrinsic motivation Promised payment / gift.
Celebrations ď Ž ď Ž
Extrinsic motivation Surprise /unannounced
How does self-system work?
Students use self-system of the brain unconsciously Processes that are within the selfsystem Importance of an activity Self-efficacy Emotional response to a task Overall motivation.
Examining importance ď Ž ď Ž
Instrumental in satisfying a basic need. Instrumental in the attainment of a personal goal.
Examining efficacy ď Ž
Belief on resources, ability, power to change a situation based past experiences
Self-efficacy ď Ž
ď Ž
The confidence a student has that s/he has ability to be successful Based on past experience.
Success breeds success
Provide opportunities for students to experience success in steps. Provide specific feedback Help them to improve.
Information on emotion
Tell students that they could be successful-even if they had not been in the past. Reinforce performance through encouraging remarks. Treat students with respect. Display high expectation.
Emotional response
Strongest force in the brain. Positive emotions can help shape our motivation to learn. Negative emotion can literally shutdown thought process. Emotional response that a student brings to the new task will help shape the degree of motivation associated with that task.
Overall motivation ď Ž
According to Marzono: �high motivation exists when students see the information or task as personally relevant and believe that they can be successful.
METACOGNITIVE SYSTEM
DECISION TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE LEARNING METACONITIVE SYSTEM BECOMES ENGAGED IT IS CONTROLLED BY SELF-SYSTEM NOW STUDENT BELIEVES THAT THE LEARNING CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY POSITIVE FEELING ABOUT LEARNING.
UTILISATION OF METACOGNITIVE SYSTEM
Decision to pay attention to the learning Metacognitive system becomes engaged. Metacognitive system is controlled by selfsystem. Now student believes that the learning can be done successfully. Positive feeling about learning. Learning is passed to the metacognitive system Sets personal goals for learning.
Impact ď Ž
ď Ž
Student makes decision about what to do when problems with difficult tasks are encountered. Student completes a task with energy.
COGNITIVE SYSTEM
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING TO COMLETE TASKS RESPOSIBLE FOR SUCH OPERATIONS AS MAKING INFERENCES, COMPARING, AND CLASSIFING THE INFORMATION WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR SUCCESS IN THEIR LEARNING. INTEGRATES ALREADY ACQUIRED INFORMATION. ACTIVATE THE INATE DESIRE TO KNOW.
BRAIN’S SEARCH PROCESS
AT THE TIME OF NEW LEARNING OR NEW TASKS BRAINS LOOKS FOR EXISTING CONNECTIONS THAT ARE BASED ON PRIOR EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING. IF SUCH INFORMATIONS ARE FOUND,THE INFORMATION CAN BE CONNECTED TO THEM.
Appropriate teaching strategies ď Ž
ď Ž
Present new learning to students already know and understand. One of the most important tactics for helping students to be successful.
Motivation to begin a lesson or task
Self-system of the brain is the gate keeper to motivation. Most of what we learn comes to us through the five senses. Brain cannot possibly pay attention to all incoming information. It filters out that which is not important. The brain filters out about 98% of all incoming information.
Self-system ď Ž
ď Ž
Plays an important role as information is coming into the brain. Decides whether to pay attention to the information being provided through the senses and to move it along to the cognitive system.
How do we satisfy the selfsystem’s need for + emotion ?
Emotion is the strongest force for embedding information into the brain’s long-term memory. It is the power to shut down our thinking. Or to strengthen an experience so that we remember it.
What do we do?
Add emotions to the learning through sound. Incorporate celebrations of the learning. Include visuals, simulations, and realworld applications.
Robert Cloniger, brain researcher says that:
To get brains attention, we must tap into three neural system. I. We must stimulate the quest for novelty, which comes from the cerebral cortex. II. We must trigger the hunt for pleasure, which comes from the midbrain; and III. We must activate the desire to avoid harm, which comes from the lower brain.
How do we use novelty to the brain’s attention?
Emotional states that help to get our students attention. Anticipation Hope, fun, acceptance, surprise Self confidence Intrigue importance
What is the role of selfattributes? ď Ž
ď Ž
Self-attributes include such things as beliefs about personal appearance, intellectual ability, athletic ability, and social ability. The combination of these beliefs constitutes one’s overall self-concept.
Locus of control ď Ž
Refers to the extent to which a person believes s/he has over a situation (internal control) as opposed to the control of other people or forces outside of themselves (external control).
Students’ views
Poor students often believe that they have no control over their lives or their circumstances. Poor students have low self-esteem. They developed a feeling of helplessness. They have the overriding belief that what happens in life is just fate; they have no control on events.
What will they do, then? ď Ž
Students will be likely to engage in learning activities when they attribute success or failure to things they can control or lack of it.
Involvement of self-system
Students’ perception of the nature of formal & informal groups &their relationship to others individuals. Acceptance of groups and their relationship to other individuals. Poor students feel they have no control.
Overcoming the learned helplessness
Build opportunities for success. Teach students basic emotional intelligence strategies. Goal-setting Build projects around student interests Provide explicit feedback often.
Role of the students’ perception of the nature of the world
Self-system deals with the individual’s perception of the nature of the world. Perception include physical, emotional, sociological and supernatural forces. Stress causes the brain to trigger a reaction of defensiveness. Under such conditions, the brain may go to a ‘survivalist’ mode.
What are the problems? ď Ž
Brain becomes less capable of planning, pattern- detection, judgment skills, receiving information, creativity, classifying data, problem solving and higher order skills.
Threats
Threats that students face: Bodily threats. Derogative comments Little feedback No direction to complete a task Emotional threats.
Needs of students to be successful:
Specific directions Adequate opportunities for mastery Specific feedback for improvement Assignments with expected performance.
Emotional threats
Students fear being made to look foolish in front of their peers. Any thing that causes them to feel inadequate, silly, stupid, hurt, or embarrassed will be an emotional threat. Never create emotional threats.
Threats based on bias
When students names are made fun of, or Deliberately mispronounced When students are isolated Unrealistic dead lines Inadequate resources to complete tasks
At risk learners
Are in constant state of stress or threat As a result they constantly make choices that are biologically driven. They work for the short-goals, and Are survival-oriented. They are NOT unmotivated or short sighted.
Impact of climate on the motivation ď Ž
ď Ž
Climate refers to both the physical and and emotional aspects of a classroom. Students need to feel comfortable in the classroom-both physically and emotionally.
Emotional climate
Acceptable by the teacher Acceptable by the peers.
Steps to assure the students
Accept the students Encourage peers to accept Create comfortable environment Offer learning experience through all senses Encourage participation in the classrooms Create confidence in their control over their learning.
How do we encourage students to finish the learning task
Activating the metacognitive system Goal specification Process specification Process monitoring Disposition monitoring
Minor off-task behavior
Curiosity, Anticipation , suspense, low to moderate anxiety High challenge Low to moderate stress Change in the activity / environment Different instructional strategies Changes in tasks/ resources Emotional intelligence
Domains of emotional intelligence
Knowing one’s emotions Managing emotions Motivating oneself Recognizing emotions handling relationships
How is importance related to motivation? ď Ž
Personal importance
Why is efficacy important to motivation? ď Ž
ď Ž
Part of the self-system concerns the extent to which a student believes that s/he has the resources or power to change a situation. A low sense of efficacy can result in learned helplessness.
Tactics for improving efficacy ď Ž
ď Ž
Provide opportunities for students to write their own ideas and feelings about learning Provide course plan for the semester so that students know what to expect and have predictability.
Develop instructional strategies and implement ď Ž
Based on the feedback revise.
Thank you, Your questions, please