Madelyn Tisher

PSC-220

10/29/2022

Research Paper: Motivation To Learn

The lives of the next generation depend heavily on educators. Although crucial, a child's

willingness and motivation to learn is more significant than the subject matter of instruction.

Children who lack interest in learning and instead only memorize, recite, and take tests are less

likely to genuinely understand the lessons being taught. How can educators have a positive

impact on a student's motivation and willingness to learn? There are various aspects to how a

teacher ensures that their students are motivated to learn. Educators must build a warm and safe

environment through positive relationships with their students, they must understand the

importance of the self-efficacy theory, they should use materials and experiences that supplement

the most traditional forms of information and they must administer testing with a clear purpose

to improve student learning in order to motivate their students to learn. By building a warm

environment, teachers can have a positive impact on students' intellectual and socioemotional

experiences (Koca, 2016). When educators understand the self efficacy theory, they are able to

meet a students basic need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to others(Seifert et al.,

2012) . By replacing the most traditional forms of information with materials and experiences

that interest students, educators have a greater chance at capturing the attention of their students

(Seifert et al., 2012). When educators have a clear purpose to improve student learning, they can

administer tests in a more meaningful manner (Berwick, 2019). Educators have the power to

either help students reach their greatest potential or prevent them from becoming their best selves

since they are genuinely on the front lines of student achievement. By understanding how these
elements impact a students willingness to learn and eagerness to thrive, educators are able to

shift their instructional methods in ways that benefit their students in the long run. Failing to

recognize the importance of these aspects can in turn hinder a child's ability to achieve success

and grow in their educational abilities. Furthermore, students that are motivated to learn through

the efforts of educators are more engaged in their own growth and learning.

In order to understand why it is important that students are motivated to learn, we have to

understand the true meaning of motivation. The two types of motivation are intrinsic and

extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation occurs when a person wishes to perform or achieve something

because it gives them pleasure (Usher et al., 2012). Extrinsic motivation occurs when someone

aspires to accomplish something for the benefit of the outcome (Usher et al., 2012). However,

identifying where a student's motivation stems from and which category it fits into is

challenging. Did the student complete the work and do well because they wanted to and because

they found interest in the topic or did they simply complete it because they knew it would benefit

them to? In either case, motivation can have an impact on how students behave in class, how

they interact with their teachers, how much effort they put into their studies, whether they ask for

help when they're having trouble, how they do on tests, and other factors (Usher et al., 2012). A

students’ beliefs also have a great impact on their motivation. A student won't be as motivated

academically if they feel they have a restricted potential for learning or that they cannot excel

(Usher et al., 2012). That is why educators play such a crucial role. As previously mentioned,

educators have the ability to either help students realize their full potential or prevent them from

becoming their best selves since they are genuinely on the front lines of student accomplishment.

It is crucial that teachers commend their students for their achievement and instill in them the

confidence that their potential is limitless. There are also four main student demands that have
been identified by research and that affect motivation. These include competence, which is the

belief that one can complete a task, autonomy, which is the setting of goals and an appreciation

of the relationship between effort and result, interest/value, which is the sense of being motivated

and seeing the value in completing a task, and relatedness, which is the sense of belonging to a

group (Usher et al., 2012). Furthermore, motivation will undoubtedly follow the satisfaction of

these fundamental demands. Although these elements initially appear straightforward, they are

actually quite complex, and there are numerous ways in which educators can achieve these

demands.

Another huge factor that determines the motivation of a student is the relationship

between the teacher and the student. Is the environment of the classroom one that promotes a

healthy learning space in which students are welcome to fail, try new things, and truly engage in

learning without feeling the need to meet a specific standard? Does the child feel a welcoming

presence from the teacher? Is the teacher facilitating a calm environment where stress is limited

and praise is used often? All of these factors determine the relationship between a teacher and a

student. According to studies, fostering good student-teacher connections can create a

welcoming learning atmosphere in the classroom that helps students adjust to school life

successfully and boosts their drive to learn (Koca, 2016). Students are already faced with so

many challenges outside of the classroom and it is crucial that the classroom is a welcoming

environment that students look forward to being in. Relationships between teachers and students

regulate the growth of social, emotional, and academic skills (Koca, 2016). Young children who

receive positive assistance from instructors and have warm and deep relationships with them

appear to display social and academic competence at school (Koca, 2016). Some ways in which

educators can build a warm and deep relationship with students can be by welcoming their
students into the classroom each morning by asking how they are doing, emphasizing that they

are happy to see them and simply allowing students to share about their personal life. According

to studies, fostering good student-teacher connections can create a welcoming learning

atmosphere in the classroom that helps students adjust to school life successfully and boosts their

motivation to learn (Koca, 2016). Teacher - student relationships play a huge role in building a

students motivation to learn.

Self efficacy also translates to motivation in a somewhat complex process. Self-efficacy

is the conviction that you are competent to perform a particular action or to accomplish a

particular objective (Seifert et al., 2012). There are various ways in which self efficacy can be

translated into student performance. This can be selection of tasks, perseverance with tasks, and

fortitude in the face of setbacks. Furthermore almost every act that a student performs is based

on their self efficacy. Self-determination theory, which builds on the premise that everyone has

fundamental desires for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to others, is an extension of

self-efficacy theory (Seifert et al., 2012). These desires were mentioned previously as well. The

hypothesis states that if these three demands are addressed to the greatest extent feasible,

students will be motivated more organically (Seifert et al., 2012). Each of these desires can be

met as educators become mindful of their efforts to connect with their students and build

meaning into their lives. There are many tactics that can help teachers do this; one program for

doing this is called TARGET and it uses concepts from a number of theories of motivation to

offer helpful advice on how to motivate kids (Seifert et al., 2012).

Our world is continuously changing and improving technologically, therefore there are

countless resources and possibilities for how to convey information. Due to our constantly

advancing technology, educators have access to an infinite number of materials. In addition,

there are countless alternatives to our most traditional kinds of information. It is critical that

instructors are aware of the countless options accessible to them for engaging and presenting

content to their students. Students are more likely to succeed if teachers use a range of

resources, regardless of whether instructional goals are derived from curricular materials,

students' reported interests, or a combination of both (Seifert et al., 2012). Educators should

constantly be taking note of the interests that their students have. Teachers gain a great deal from

incorporating these items into their teaching methods, whether it be superheroes, race cars,

dinosaurs, princesses, or really anything that may pique their students' interests. What resources

to employ specifically will depend on circumstances that are specific to each class, school, or

community, but they may include the internet, local experts, field trips, or service learning

(Seifert et al., 2012). It is important that educators take note of the power of hands-on learning as

well. Opportunities for field trips are too frequently missed. Teachers can demonstrate to

students just how much of the knowledge they are gaining in class transfers into their daily lives

outside of the classroom by enabling them to engage in field trip opportunities. By replacing the

most traditional forms of information with materials and experiences that interest students,

educators have a greater chance at capturing the attention of their students (Seifert et al., 2012).

It is crucial to realize that students' interests can be translated into educational content.

Standardized testing and testing overall can cause great debate between educators and the

parents of students. However, when done properly, testing can actually have great benefits for

both teachers and students. According to research, tests can be effective learning tools for

students if they are created and administered with format, time, and content in mind—as well as

a clear goal to enhance student learning (Berwick, 2019). With anything in life, there are

advantages and disadvantages to standardized testing. A 2014 study indicated that placing data
walls in classrooms encouraged students to compare status rather than improve work, which is

particularly detrimental to student motivation (Berwick, 2019). Tests should be used by

educators to exercise profound critical thinking abilities and give students room to take their

time, not as a means of determining where a student stands in relation to a standard. Students are

driven to improve engagement with their work when teachers ask questions to better comprehend

their answers, and they perform considerably better when given repeated opportunities to learn

and grow (Berwick, 2019). Testing may have some negative effects on students' motivation to

learn, but instructors could use interactive activities to encourage students to participate with

their work and think critically. Testing is frequently conducted with a time constraint and in

comparison to a standard. This has a terrible negative impact on students' motivation, and

measures should also be implemented to make testing a pleasurable experience in order to

maintain student motivation. When educators have a clear purpose to improve student learning,

they can administer tests in a more meaningful manner (Berwick, 2019). When done properly,

and with great thought, testing can actually have great benefits for students' motivation.

In conclusion, the motivation and openness of a student to learn is more important than

the subject matter of instruction. Children who don't want to learn and who only memorize,

recite, and take tests are less likely to truly comprehend the lessons being taught. There are

various aspects to how a teacher ensures that their students are motivated to learn. Educators

must build a warm and safe environment through positive relationships with their students, they

must understand the importance of the self-efficacy theory, they should use materials and

experiences that supplement the most traditional forms of information and they must administer

testing with a clear purpose to improve student learning in order to motivate their students to

learn. By building a warm environment, teachers can have a positive impact on students'
intellectual and socioemotional experiences (Koca, 2016). When educators understand the self

efficacy theory, they are able to meet a students basic need for autonomy, competence, and

relatedness to others(Seifert et al., 2012) . By replacing the most traditional forms of information

with materials and experiences that interest students, educators have a greater chance at

capturing the attention of their students (Seifert et al., 2012). When educators have a clear

purpose to improve student learning, they can administer tests in a more meaningful manner

(Berwick, 2019). Educators have the power to either help students reach their greatest potential

or prevent them from becoming their best selves since they are genuinely on the front lines of

student achievement. By understanding how these elements impact a students willingness to

learn and eagerness to thrive, educators are able to shift their instructional methods in ways that

benefit their students in the long run. Overall, instructors need to discover how to inspire

children to learn and keep them interested in learning if we want our future generations to

succeed. Students that are motivated to learn through the efforts of educators are more engaged

in their own growth and learning.

References:

Berwick, C. (2019, October 25). What does the research say about testing? Edutopia. Retrieved

November 16, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/what-does-research-say-about-testing

Koca, F. (2016). Motivation to Learn and Teacher - Student Relationship. Retrieved November

16, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1135209.pdf.

Seifert, K. (2012). Module 10: Planning Instruction. In Educational psychology. essay,

Connexions. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from

https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/educationalpsychology/enhancing-student-learning-th

rough-a-variety-of-resources/.

Seifert, K. (2012). Module 6: Student Motivation. In Educational psychology. essay,

Connexions. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from

https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/educationalpsychology/student-motivation/.

Usher, A., & Kobler, N. (2012). (rep.). (J. Jennings, D. Stark Rentner, R. Rothstein, & N.

Chudowsky, Eds.)Student Motivation - An Overlooked Piece of School Reform (pp. 1–7).

Washington, DC: Center on Education Policy . Retrieved November 16, 2022, from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532670.pdf.