Student Motivation

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Student Motivation

• How do I motivate students to learn?

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Educators on Student Motivation

• There is and there can be no teaching where the
  attention of the scholar is not secured. The
  teacher who fails to get the attention of his
  scholars, fails totally.
• Hughes- 1880

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Educators on Student Motivation

• A teacher who is attempting to teach without
  inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is
  hammering cold iron.
• Horace Mann

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Student Motivation

• Wise Sayings?????
• It makes little difference what you study, if
  only you hate it.
• It is the bitter medicine that does you good.
• A cold bath every morning develops will power.

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Student Motivation

• More Wise Sayings???
• Self discipline through suffering builds sturdy
  character
• Life is full of drudgery and school should
  prepare people for life as it actually is.

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We may not take these statements seriously, but.
. .

• Sometimes we teach as if this is how we think
  learning new material should be perceived by
  students.

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Research on Motivating Students

• Motivation is either
• A general trait Some students seem motivated to
  learn regardless of the activity.
• Situation specific state Sometimes the activity
  is the motivator. Students want to learn about
  horses, but could care less about wildlife.

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Our Challenge?

• More concerned with motivation in a
  situation-specific state--getting students to
  learn information that they are not necessarily
  interested in learning.
• Acquired through
• modeling
• communication of expectations
• direct instruction

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Expectency x Value Theory

• The effort people will expend on a task is a
  product of
• the degree to which they expect to be successful
  if they apply themselves.
• (Need to believe they can accomplish the task)
• the benefits successful task completion will
  bring to them.
• (Need to believe the task is worthwhile)

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Essential Preconditions for Motivating Students

• Supportive Environment
• (Has to be OK to give an incorrect answer in
  class)
• Appropriate level of challenge/difficulty
• Meaningful learning objectives
• Moderation/optimal use
• (Dont over-use any motivation technique!)

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Maintaining Success Expectations

• Program for success give them activities that
  are challenging but attainable.
• Teach goal-setting, performance appraisal, and
  self-reinforcement they need to understand for
  themselves when they have done well--even if you
  are not there for the pat on the back.
• Help students recognize linkages between effort
  and outcome We often take this for granted, but
  many students have tried hard in the past and
  were not successful.
• Provide remedial socialization recognize that
  this is not automatic and students may have to be
  encouraged/ prodded to take chances. You may be
  trying to overcome years of poor educational
  attainment.

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Types of Student Motivation
Motivation from an outside source

• Extrinsic Incentives
• Rewards for good performance
• Structure appropriate competition
• Emphasize instrumental value of academic
  activities

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Types of Student Motivation

• Capitalize on Intrinsic Motivation (from within)
• Adapt tasks to students interests
• Include novelty/variety elements
• Allow opportunities for student decisions
• Allow students to create finished products
• Include simulation in teaching
• Incorporate game-like features
• Provide interaction with peers

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Stimulating Student Motivation

• Model interest in learning
• important for students to see the teacher as
  someone who is interested in new information
• Communicate desirable expectations
• need to see teacher expects students to succeed

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Stimulating Student Motivation

• Minimize students performance anxiety
• students will not learn if they are afraid to
  fail
• Project intensity and enthusiasm
• teacher abilities that are contagious for
  students
• Induce task interest or appreciation
• important to make the content important to the
  learner

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Stimulating Student Motivation

• Induce curiosity or suspense
• students are naturally curious keep their
  attention
• Induce cognitive conflict
• provide problems to solve that may have more than
  one answer
• Make abstract content more concrete
• show how theories are used in the real world
• Provide advance organizers
• let students know what to look for
• Model task-related thinking and problem solving
• show students how to solve problems give examples

Basic Motivation
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Plan to Stimulate Student Interest

• Interest Approaches at the beginning of a lesson
  can help to increase student interest in learning

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Developing Interest Approaches

• Three Major Goals of an Interest Approach
• Get the attention of the students
• Create a mental set
• Create uncertainty. This leads to a felt need to
  know more!

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Developing Interest Approaches

• Get the attention of students
• Relia (models, specimens, tools, etc.
• Stories
• Problem situations

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Getting their attention

• Relia Dont just show the students the object.
  Discuss something about the object with the class
• Stories or Jokes Not just any story--make sure
  the story is related to the lesson
• Problem Situation Giving students a problem and
  letting them come up with possible solutions can
  often stimulate interest

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Developing Interest Approaches

• Create a Mental Set
• Ask about their experiences
• Determine a baseline of information
• Begin to focus on the topic

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Why develop a mental set?

• By following the previous suggestions, students
  will begin to see the application and importance
  of the topic to their lives.
• Provides a logical lead-in to the lesson.
• Sets the stage for developing uncertainty.

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Developing Interest Approaches

• Create uncertainty leading to a felt need to know
  more!
• Ultimate goal of an interest approach!
• Students must understand there is more to learn
• Accomplished by skilled questioning --general to
  specific

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Creating Uncertainty

• Many agricultural topics are somewhat familiar to
  the students.
• As long as they feel they already know the
  information, there is little reason for them to
  pay attention to what you want to teach!
• Important for you to help them realize they do
  not know everything they need to know about the
  topic.

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How to Create Uncertainty

• Process General to Specific Questions
• Ask a general question that most students should
  be able to answer? Important In order to
  create uncertainty, you should know acknowledge
  correct responses! Keep them in suspense
  throughout this stage of the interest approach!!!
• What are some important things to consider in
  establishing a lawn?
• Possible student responses soil preparation,
  type of grass, fertilizers needed, how to seed or
  sod, etc.

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Creating Uncertainty (cont)

• Select one of the responses (one you had
  anticipated and prepared for) and ask a more
  specific question.
• What types of grasses are available?
• Possible answers fescue, bermudagrass, etc.
• Ask a more specific question.
• Which type of fescue is best suited for this
  area?
• Students may respond as if they know. If they
  do,
• Question their responses.
• Could other types of fescue grow better in this
  situation?
• Will this type of fescue grow well in any
  condition?
• Is it possible that new varieties have been
  developed?

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Once students realize they do not know all the
answers they may be ready to learn!

• Transition Statement This is one of the things
  we will learn about establishing a lawn as we
  study this lesson.

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Developing Interest Approaches

• Characteristics of Good Interest Approaches
• Related to the topic being taught
• Brief
• Stimulates thinking
• Involves students
• Arouses curiosity
• Creates a personal felt need to know more