How do you Motivate your Students?:
5
types of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
After watching the video produced by the BBC-Learning
English recorded at the IATEFL Conference 2011, I wanted to
explore the topic myself: “What do you do to motivate your students?” Bearing
in mind that there is a dual distinction when discussing motivation, I found
out that there are several types of “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” motivation that
students may have.
u Type 1: In class, a teacher is bound to find
students who favor the challenge of learning; people who are intrinsically driven by their desire to quench
their thirst for knowledge. On the other hand, the same teacher will find
students who have a preference for easy work; people who can be classified as extrinsically driven in their learning. It is not
difficult to recognize these students in class, isn’t it? Both types of
motivation are valid in class so neither the first nor the second can be
labeled as right or wrong.
v Type 2: The
intrinsically motivated learner is not just
curious but also interested in the subject-matter the teacher presents.
Although grades are important, it is the overall knowledge what he wants to get
and its applications in real life. The extrinsic
learner is much more into pleasing a teacher (or employer, perhaps a
parent) and getting grades to comply with what is expected of him in the
course. Both types can be successful; that’s why both types of motivation are
valid in class.
w Type 3: Because the “intrinsic”
student is highly driven by his curiosity, he is the one that can be labeled as
“the autonomous learner.” Being independent is what fuels his desire to achieve
“mastery” in a given area of study. Contrary to this, the “extrinsic” student highly depends on his teacher
to figure out problems and solutions. His critical thinking skills are not
“exactly” developed. Once again, you can see how this sort of student has
peopled our classrooms and is not that enthusiastic.
x Type 4. The “intrinsic”
learner, whose learning autonomy and critical thinking skills are
well-developed, is the type of person who can make timely decisions and does
not rely on his instructor’s judgment. He is the type that takes control of his
learning to keep up with his curiosity and interest. The “extrinsic” learner develops a “reliance” on his
teacher’s judgment about what to do next. This “extrinsic” type cannot go
beyond if there is no teacher’s approval or guidance; he is far away from
autonomous learning.
y Type 5: Both “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” pupils can
work hard towards success, but the source of criteria to be successful changes.
The “intrinsically-motivated” student finds his source within himself. That is,
based on self-assessment and his ultimate learning objective, he knows when he
feels satisfied in his success. The external criteria that marks success for
the “extrinsic” learner comes from his surroundings: the approval of his
teachers, employers, and his acceptance in various groups he longs to part of.
The motivation distribution for learners can also be
applied to teachers as well. But beyond who the one being motivated is the
certainty that motivation can be shifted at some point. However, the question
“how do you motivate students?” is not yet answered.
It seems that now we have a clear distinction of both
types of learners, we can now plan activities for both types of motivation.
A
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How do you motivate your students?
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B
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First, by understanding that all students have
different kinds of motivation. Then, taking into account their motivational
drive, I can create tasks that can yield memorable learning.
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A
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Why memorable learning?
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B
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Students who get knowledge through memorable learning
will always achieve the learning outcomes in my lesson plan and in the
curricula. Finding the way they get motivated can be used to foster their
learning and may lead to some autonomous learning.
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In conclusion, motivating students is important and
understanding the different motivational drives an individual can have can be
used to produce memorable learning moments. Perhaps, we can shift some “intrinsic”
behavior that can turn into autonomous learning and great critical thinking.
ETo
fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research and
expand these areas:
1
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Types of motivational drives
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2
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The meaning of motivation
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3
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Motivational techniques in education
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4
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Memorable teaching = memorable learning?
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5
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Critical thinking and motivation
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Jonathan Acuña
ELT Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
For further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso – Twitter
Other blogs I often write for my
students at the university are:
Monday, October 22, 2012
this is pretty much informative site, you have shared a lot of us on how teachers should motivate their students..