Usage and Application

Biehler and Snowman (1997) offer guidelines for educators to follow to promote motivation for learning within their students.  These suggestions include:

• Ensure that students are aware of what is expected of them, how they are to go about working toward the goal, and how they will know that they have reached the goal.
• Do everything possible to alleviate needs - adjust the curriculum based on students' psychological needs, make the classroom safe and stable, convey to students that they belong in the classroom, and use learning experiences in which all students can gleam some degree of self-esteem.
• Use objectives that are attainable yet stimulating
• Emphasize positive feedback regarding student assignments
• Extrinsic motivation factors such as rewards for achievement may need to be utilized with students who are not motivated on their own                                                                           (Biehler & Snowman, 1997, p. 422).

Kathleen McKinney of Illinois State University describes ways in which teachers can promote intrinsic motivation for learning within their students rather than encouraging only extrinsic motivators such as earning an "A" for the class.  To read more about her ideas click here.

The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University suggests that motivation effects the learning styles of students:

• "Deep learners" are those students that teachers want to have in their classes.  These individuals are motivated by intrinsic factors, and possess a yearning to learn and undertake new material, even if the information is challenging.
• "Strategic learners" (or "bulimic learners") are motivated by intrinsic, as well as extrinsic, rewards.  They enjoy competition with others, but they rarely undertake learning things on a deeper level, unless there is a benefit for it.  These students often study material needed to do well on a test, but simply forget all of it once the test is over.
• "Surface learners'" motivation comes from the fear of failure.  They complete the minimum requirements to gain credit for a course, yet refuse to learn on a deeper level because they are afraid of failure.