Motivation Reaching Those Who Can, but Don’t Rachel Evans Key Issue Presentation

Presentation Expectations After this presentations teachers should be able to – identify the effects of unmotivated students. – Identify strategies to engage unmotivated learners.

Effects of Unmotivated Students? Apathetic students are not often successful students. – Not meeting potential – Not connecting that school is relevant to the real world Indifference becomes a model for other students to follow. Low student moral – Behavior concerns

Research Says… Intrinsic Motivation – An individual’s drive to partake and succeed Extrinsic Motivation – An outside stimulus drives an individual to partake and succeed

Research Says cont.… Human Behavior is driven to satisfy five basic needs. – Survival and Safety – Love and Belonging – Power – Freedom – Novelty and Entertainment When teachers address these needs students will gain intrinsic motivation.

Research Says cont.… – Provide thoughtful extrinsic motivators. When people are extrinsically awarded for tasks they regularly would participate in become driven by the outside stimulus. Socially driven motivators, teacher praise, are effective in increasing agency. – Increased intrinsic motivation Tangible motivators, money, are ineffective in increasing intrinsic motivation. – In some cases motivation decreases when the reward is removed.

Classroom Application “ Research has shown that good everyday teaching practices can do more to counter student apathy than special efforts to attack motivation directly.” Barbara Gross Davis, 1978 – Assign appropriate tasks that will challenge students without pushing them so far they cannot be successful. – Help students make connections and find relevancy in content. – Provide frequent, positive feedback that helps students gain self-efficacy.

Classroom Application cont.… – Create a classroom atmosphere that allows students to be comfortable to fail. Encourage students to reevaluate and try again! Partner with struggling students to help them reach success. – Create an environment where students feel valued.

Something to Think About… How do teachers move from extrinsic motivators to intrinsic motivators? How do teachers reach the students who do not reach intrinsic motivation? How do teachers motivate student who come from homes that do not value education?

Works Cited Gross Davis, B. (1993). Tools for teaching. Jossey-Bass: San Fransico Johnson, M. Building intrinsic motivation with five basic human needs. Retrieved July 24, 2012 from daily/inspireclassroom.aspx daily/inspireclassroom.aspx Kirk. K. Student motivation and attitudes: The role of the affective domain in geoscience learning. Retrieved July 23, 2012 from Wilson, G. The effects of external rewards on intrinsic motivation. Retrieved July 27, 2012 from