Motivation

1
Motivation

• Thinking About Motivation

2
Motivation

• Motivation DEFINITION From the Latin verb
  movere (to move).
• Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed
  activity is instigated and sustained.
• Why do students set and sustain goals?

3
One Part of the Answer

• The Ideal Self
• Goals are about where we want to be.
• which goals we set
• which goals we value
• and which goals we keep working at.
• Goals are related to who we WANT TO BE.

4
The other part The Actual Self

• Who students think they are affects what they
  want.
• Self-Efficacy (whether or not they are capable of
  achieving a goal)
• Things that effect self-efficacy
• Mastery experiences
• Vicarious experience (models)
• Verbal persuasion

Albert Bandura
5
Moving From the Actual to the Ideal

• For many students there is a discrepancy between
  who they are and who they want to become
• it can be motivating
• if students think they can change.
• if they can make connections between the present
  and the future.
• or devastating
• if students dont think they can change
• if they are too focused on the present.

6
Connecting Present to Future

• Future time perspective (FTP) is the degree to
  which and the way in which the chronological
  future is integrated into the present life-space
  of an individual through motivational
  goal-setting processes.
• Perceived instrumentality is an individuals
  understanding of the instrumental value of a
  present behavior for future goals (Van Calster,
  Lens, Nuttin, 1987).

7
Why do students think they can or cant change?

• Beliefs about Ability!
• Incremental Your ability changes over time
• Entity Your ability is set at birth
• Beliefs about Ability lead to goal orientations.
• Incremental Mastery
• Entity Performance

8
Mastery vs. Performance

• Mastery goal orientation (Good)
• Students are mostly concerned with mastering the
  task at hand
• Failure suggests areas for improvement can be
  motivating.
• Performance goal orientation (Bad)
• Students are mostly concerned with doing better
  than others
• Student fears that failure indicates something
  about their ABILITY to do the task.

9
Why would someone want to master the task?

• Mastery is INTRINSICALLY motivating
• Intrinsic motivation wanting to do something
  just because it isin and of itselfenjoyable!
• Why are things enjoyable?
• Interest
• Competence
• Curiosity
• Relatedness
• Autonomy

10
What Hurts Intrinsic Motivation?

• Controlling rewards
• Threats and deadlines
• Evaluation and surveillance
• Rule of thumb If someone else made you its
  not intrinsic motivation its EXTRINSIC
  motivation.

11
Whats wrong with Extrinsic Motivation?

• Its EXTRINSIC

12
How do I support student motivation through
writing?

• Application Essay
• Students need to make connections to their own
  lives.
• Students need to make those connections
  themselves.
• Group Essays
• Tuesday lecture (1.5 hrs) Students write essay
  questions concerning the weeks set of readings.
• ThursdayGroupwork (1.5 hrs)
• Students assigned to 4-5 person groups, work
  together each week.
• I take students questions from Tuesday and
  construct 5 questions for Thursday group
  assignment.
• Each group completes an essay (of their choice),
  in collaboration.
• The essay AND collaborations are evaluated.