Strategies+of+Motivating+Learners



As per studies of Carol Ames ( ^1 ), there are six predominant areas that can influence students’ motivation to learn: 1. The task that students are asked to perform. 2. The autonomy students are allowed in working. 3. How students are recognized for their accomplishments. 4. Grouping practices. 5. Evaluation procedures. 6. Learning outside classrooms

1. According to Ames, the strength of our motivation in a particular situation is determined by our expectation that we can have success and the value of that success. To understand how an academic task can affect student’s motivation, analysis is must by intructor. Tasks can be interesting or boring for students and can have different value for students.

2. Giving students a range of options that set valuable tasks for them, aligning it with their personal interest. Perfect balance is must. Too much autonomy is perplexing and too little is boring.

3. Students should be recognized for improving on their own personal best, for tackling difficult tasks, for persistence, and for creativity. A study by Ruth Butler ( 5 ) shows that interest, performance, attribution to effort and task involvement were higher after personal comments. Ego-involved motivation (the desire to look good or do better than others) was greater after grades and standard praise.

4. Motivation can be greatly influenced by the ways we relate to the other people who are also involved in accomplishing a particular goal. When the task involves complex learning and problem skills, cooperation leads to higher achievement than competition, especially for students with low abilities. The interaction with peers that the students enjoy so much becomes a part of learning process. The need for belonging described by Maslow is more likely to be met and motivation is increased.

5. The greater the emphasis on competitive evaluation and grading, the more students will focus on performance goals rather than mastery. Students need to understand the value of the work or how the information will be useful in solving problems they want to solve. One way to emphasize learning rather than grades is to use self-evaluation.

6. Most teachers know that there is too much work and not enough time in the school day. Even if they become engrossed in a project, students must stop and turn their attention. Therefore, the teacher should be able to give extended periods when everyone, even the teachers, engage in activity or have some sort of block scheduling in which teachers work in teams to plan larger blocks of time. The best way is to be aware of e- tools fitting into Bloom's Taxonomy to work outside the classrooms. Resource for web tools: http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Research+Tool

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