Throughout the chapter, intrinsic motivation was discussed which is the motivation you give yourself by doing something you like doing. For example, when a student enjoys math problems and they are working on extra math problems for more practice/mastery of skills this is intrinsic motivation because it is something the student enjoys doing. It was also discussed how students motivations change through different subjects, ethnicities, and goal orientations. One thing I would really focus on telling other teachers would be to make sure not to make the common stereotypical assumptions about student's just because of their background. Student's shouldn't be defined by stereotypes let alone their backgrounds.
One question I did have over the chapter relates to when the book was talking about the competitive nature of classrooms. It stated that we as teachers need to be sure to reduce the competitive nature of the classroom. Although this may work for some students, couldn't "competition" in the classroom be a good thing too? I personally, enjoy finding out how other students did on tests too because it lets me know how I am doing, and just pushes me to really gain more information so I can make decisions and answers in class as well.
I have been successful in high school because I always knew what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher so I put myself in a situation to gain as much knowledge as I could and made sure to continue gaining knowledge. I knew that my knowledge accumulation would grow steadily with each year, but I knew that the rate at which I took in this information would be uncontrollable. I personally believe that it was me who was motivating myself to do my best and work as hard as I could simply because I have to achieve.
I do understand your reasoning for having some competition in the classroom. For some students, knowing how other students are performing can be a form of motivation, making students strive to do better so they can be on top. But I can also see how competition can be negative, especially for younger students.
ReplyDeleteFor example, say a teacher lets the class know the average score on a test, naming the students who got 100%. For the students who did well on the test, they probably would enjoy the attention and praise, and use it as a motivator to continue doing well. But for students who scored below the average, the case may be very different. They may feel embarrassed about their score, even if the teacher does not mention them. This may cause learned helplessness, especially if the student studied very hard for the test but still did poorly. It can also cause low self-efficacy. The student may feel like there is no use in trying because they will never be able to do well.
So while I agree with what you said, I also agree with the book. While some competition may be healthy, it may just end up benefiting the students who are already motivated and doing well.
What sort of assumptions are you talking about? What sort of motivational assumptions are common and what would going along with these assumptions be a case of?
ReplyDeleteCompetition could be beneficial for students that already have a performance goal orientation, but not all students will have this. Also, by emphasizing competition yourself, you may be structuring a performance orientation for students who have a mastery orientation. You may need to decide if you want to do this.
Your last description seems to be phrased in a stable way--you describe yourself with qualities that are consistent and inherent. What do you mean by knowledge being taken in as uncontrollable? Try to break this apart with attribution theory.
I also think that competition in the classroom can be a good thing to a certain extent. As long as it doesn't leave anyone out or put anyone down, friendly competition can help students who are goal oriented. However, when a student feels left out or inferior a number of times, competition may end up being harmful for them
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