Teaching Philosophy

Motivation is an important tool to incorporate into my philosophy of

learning and the key to a successful classroom. Teachers must be

motivated to teach and students must be motivated to learn. Attribution,

expectance and needs are different motivational approaches that

address the needs of students and applied to my philosophy of learning.

Attribution is a cognitive motivational theory that emphasizes children

must feel good about themselves to be motivated to learn in the

classroom. Bernard Weiner was one of the theorists who influenced the

attribution approach. He believed a positive-self image is crucial in

attribution. Students must understand how to measure their successes

and failures in a positive direction because it will influence their future

achievements. A students self-image greatly effects their learning and

teachers should be sensitive to this need I the classroom. Attribution is a

motivational theory where a student’s academic effort depends on their

own successes or failures. Attribution can stem from internal or external

factors, which can be either controlled or not controlled and classified as

stable (unchanging) or unstable (changing). Ability, task difficulty, effort,

and luck are four factors that influence motivation in the attribution

theory.

 Ability is typically an internal, stable and uncontrollable factor that

can effect the student’s motivation and academic success.

  Task difficulty is external, stable, and an uncontrollable aspect that

effects student learning and motivation.

 Effort characteristics are internal, unstable, and controllable.

 Luck characteristics typically depend on external, unstable and

uncontrollable factors.

Each of the four characteristics depend on the student and can change

based on the student’s belief about themselves. Students should measure

their academic success based effort and ability verse task difficulty and

luck. However, students should also measure their failure based on their

efforts during the task. Attribution encourages students to measure their

success and provides students with positive reinforcement that I will apply

to my working philosophy of learning.

Expectance is another motivational theory that is applied to my

philosophy of education. It is based on the amount of effort students put

into completing the task. It was introduced by Martin Fishbein and also

heavily influenced by Feather, Vroom, Edwards, and Atkinson. The

expectance philosophy of the theorists was, the more effort and practice

put into succeeding, the better and more advanced a person will

become, which will increase their motivation. High expectancy is based

on high performance and increased efforts that will increase motivation

and improve student’s academic success. The expectance theory

involves expectancy probability, instrumentality probability, and valence.

Overall, this motivational approach effects how students make decisions

in the classroom and influences their academic goals.

 Expectancy probability measures a student’s performance, self-

efficiency, and goal difficulty. High expectancy probability can be

reached depending on the amount of effort in their performance

and the self-confidence of the student. It is also based on past

experiences. Students will become more advanced and be able to

reach increasingly difficult goals if they continue to increase their

efforts and academic performance. In general, the higher the

expectancy means the greater the success of student.

 Instrumentality probability is a reward system that effects student

achievement. Students believe increased efforts and increasingly

high achievements will generate better rewards or incentives.

Students will strive to improve their performance because they want

what they believe to be the better incentives that are gained by

reaching their goals. The reward system is what drives a student’s

motivation level during instrumentality probability.

 Valence is based on a student’s personal value of the reward or

ending result. It is usually based on the own wants and needs of the

individual student. Valence is a personal goal the student sets for

themselves. The motivation and performance level depends on

 how valuable the student feels the reward is for reaching their

intended academic goal.

Expectancy probability, instrumentality probability, and valence all work

together to achieve a students motivational force. A student must have

all of these qualities and I will teach my students these motivational tools

to succeed in the classroom.

Needs is a motivational theory that is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of

Needs and Alderfer’s motivational needs. It is a motivational technique

that I will apply in all my classrooms. It was also influenced by Murray

(1939). Needs provided a humanistic approach to student learning. It

was based around the desire to learn and achieve success, which was

the driving force of a student’s motivation. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

depends on survival (physical, safety, belonging) and fulfillment (esteem,

understanding, aesthetic, and self-actualization). Maslow believed each

need must be met in order for a student to reach their goal. Alderfer held

three basic motivational need levels, growth, relatedness, and existence.

 Growth is a student’s creative side that affects their motivational

level in their internal atmosphere.

 Relatedness deals with student’s relationships, which can affect

their level of need and motivation.

  Existence is based upon psychological needs and wants of

students.

Achievement, power and affiliation are also part of the needs theory that

effect student’s academic success.

 Achievement can be personal and depends on the desire of the

student to accomplish specific goals in the classroom.

 Power is extremely competitive and influences motivational success

in the classroom. Power is similar to the existence level in Alderfer’s

hierarchy of motivational needs, because existence is also

extremely competitive.

 Affiliation based on relationships among student’s and their need to

feel accepted. Relatedness is similar to affiliation because it deals

with relationships being a key factor in the motivational success of

students.

Each student has different needs that must be met to succeed in the

classroom and I will apply Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory to my

philosophy of teaching. Maslow’s theory will help motivate my students to

reach their goals and achieve success socially and academically.

Motivational techniques are important learning tools in my

philosophy of teaching, but the learning styles of each of my students is

equally important. It is important to know what type of learning styles best

fit my students. It will help me enhance my student’s knowledge and

increase their comprehension in the classroom. The most common

learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile learners. My

philosophy will recognize all these techniques and incorporate a variety of

learning activities in the classroom. It will be important for me to model

appropriate behavior during lesson activities for my visual learners. They

will need to see more pictures or charts when completing activities. I will

provide hand-outs, demonstrations, use manipulatives, and have hands-

on activities in my classroom. These types of lessons will cater towards my

visual learners. Auditory learners will need more lectures and verbal

lessons in the classroom. Dialogues, discussions, and role-playing will be

important techniques for my auditory learners. My tactile learners will

need many hands-on activities to increase their classroom

comprehension. Field trips, manipulatives, experiments, and

demonstrations will be geared towards my tactile students. Overall, it is

extremely important to understand all the different learning styles and

adapt each different style into your lesson plans. All your students are

different and as a teacher it is important to incorporate different learning

techniques that will cater to your students learning needs and styles.

Motivational techniques and learning theories will be incorporated

in my philosophy and enforced to enhance my student’s education. My

philosophy on education ensures all my students will be treated equally

and guarantees them multiple opportunities to succeed. I will always be

a positive role-model for the students and create a comfortable learning

environment. My students will be taught accurate information that caters

to different learning needs and given tools to be successful socially and

academically. They will be respected and I will continue to adapt to the

changes of society and in education to meet my student’s needs.

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