In the United states, are students in grades 4-9, more intrinsically (motivated for personal satisfaction) or extrinsically motivated (motivated to earn an award or avoid punishment) and why.
L: What you learned
Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Social
1. Physical
Body Growth R (Review):
Boys and Girls from ages 6-11 are growing and yet grow differently according to their sex.
Age 6:
Boys and Girls--> Weight- 45 Height 3 1/2 ft
Ages 6-8:
Girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys
Ages 6-12:
all 20 primary teeth are lost and replaced my permanent ones
Girls losing their teeth slightly earlier than boys
Permanent teeth may seem much too large until the growth of the facial bones causes the child's face to lengthen and mouth is widen to accommodate the new permanent teeth.
Age 8:
Girls accumulate fat at a faster rate and continue to add fat during adolescense
Age 9:
Boys are now shorter and lighter than girls
Girls are going through the adolescent growth spurt
Age 11:
Boys can start going through their growth spurt
During Middle Childhood growth, the bones of the body lengthen and broaden but ligaments are not yet firmly attached to bones.
Because of this plus and increase in muscle strength, children can be unusually flexible
As their bodies grow and develop stronger, nighttime growing pains (stiffness and aches in the leg) are common.
A (Apply):
The lower portion of your body grows fastest and therefore some children can appear more long legged than they did in their early childhood.
I think knowing about the physical development of the age you are teaching can correlate back to my curiosity on: How do you build a relationship with these students as well as a friendly classroom environment?
If you tie into your lesson about how everyone's bodies are changing and everyone goes through the same things, you can lessen the risk of bullying and teasing, and everyone in the classroom will hopefully love who they are/becoming.
R (Reflect):
Children are constantly growing, some faster than other and so as a teacher you have to be mindful that all these children are experiencing different changes with their body that may often been uncomfortable either mentally or physically. As a teacher you must keep an eye out for teasing and bullying and they are all growing into their bodies. Some might accumulate fat more than others, or some may have bigger teeth than others, and all the physical attributes are target teasing points for children ages 6-11.
2. Cognitive
While it ultimately depends on the child and their background that determines their cognitive development, their learning in school has a huge impact. It was stated on page 248 that students who are instructed though constructivism rather than traditional classroom style, have gains in academic motivation, critical thinking, social and moral maturity, and positive attitudes toward school. I thought this was interesting as I think back to my inquiry question as to how children are motivated, and it seems as according to the book, when children work in small groups with hands on activities that make them think about what they are doing more than a teacher standing in the front of the classroom it will motivate them to want to find more answers. Traditional classrooms might become redundant and students might lead to relining on the teacher for answers. It states on the same page that when "teacher directed instruction is emphasized in preschool and kindergarten, it actually undermines academic motivation and achievement, especially in low SES children."
3. Emotional
Middle Childhood is an age where emotions are like a roller coaster ride. These kids are developing physically and cognitively at different rates. There are changes in self concept and self esteem as they are searching for their own identities. On page, 315, it states, "academic self esteem is a powerful predictor of teenagers' judgments of the importance and usefulness of school subjects, willingness to exert effort, achievement, and eventual career choice...authoritative parenting predicts high self esteem and does encouragement from teachers." (Exploring Lifespan Development, Berk). This statement relates back to my inquiry question in which positive feedback and encouragement to your students can help boast their self esteem. Some students might not have authoritative parents, or just have a low self esteem and if you as a teacher can motivate your students by providing them positive feedback, you can ultimately increase the child's self esteem, which will help them find their identity in the long run.
4. Social
As far as motivating your students for the middle childhood age, you not only want to motivate them to do their best on their school work, but more so motivate them to want to achieve and do well with all aspects of life. Motivate them to build and maintain strong friendships with their peers, and have a welcoming "clique" that doesn't exclude anyone based on their religion, race, interests, etc. Create a classroom environment that is friendly so all students feel welcomed. "Adolescent peer groups are organized into more intimate cliques, particually important to girls, and crowds, which grant teenagers an identity within the larger social structure of the school" (335) If you have a classroom that is warm and welcoming, you may subtly motivate students to be more accepting of their peers outside of the classroom.
Winton Hills Academy is a Cincinnati Public School run by Principal Russo. This school is preschool to grade 6 and 90% of the students at this school are Black. It's designation is under the Continuous Improvement category and has not met the adequate yearly progress. They have 450 students enrolled and have a 21 student to teacher ratio which is not much more than the average 18 students to teacher ratio for CPS schools.91% of the 450 students are classified as "economically disadvantaged" with 97% paying reduced lunch prices.
The expectations for their students are to be positive and prepared, responsible and respectful, and safe. They also are required to complete their homework on a daily basis.They are to wear a uniform which includes a navy, light blue, or white Polo with Navy, or khaki pants or skirt.
Winton Hills Academy is not just a school. They are a Community Learning Center. We have a wonderful partnership program with Win Med Health Center which is called the Fast Track Program. A child who is enrolled in this program may get urgent treatment for medical and dental problems at the clinic across the street from school.
I am observing their after school program with is run through the YMCA. " YMCA partners with Winton Hills Academy to provide a daily program after school that lasts until 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This gives our students a safe place to stay, work on homework, and participate in many fun and educational activities. These activities include dance, cooking, taekwondo, music, physical activities, sports, crafting, painting, legorobotics, and many more. The after school program extends the school day and provides many other educational opportunities that can not always be obtained during the regular school day. Parents are encouraged to take part in many activities during the program."
After school Schedule: 2:00-2:35 Snack/Social hour 2:40-3:40 Homework/Enrichment 3:45-4:15 Exercise 4:20-4:45 Dinner 4:50-5:45 Breakout/Clubs
C. Describe what you did at the site (free-write/journal formatting)
1st visit: Coming into this visit I already knew what to expect as I tutored for this school last year. I knew that these students had to wear a "uniform" or certain colors, (blue shirt kahki pants) and I knew all the administration focuses on no bullying and emphasize good character, proper manors, and good morals. This was all evident as I watched them eat their snack. The adults in the room made sure all the girls with skirts on had their legs crossed. They were not to talk with food in their mouth, and they were not really supposed to be talking at all, as it was time to eat and not socialize. There was a lot of chatter at one point, so the adult turned the lights off and said, we are going to sit here quietly and this is going to affect your social time. (This correlates to motivation and behavior, if you are behaving well you wont have to sit in silence). The kids who were finished were given a job to do such as roll around the garbage can and collect the garbage or pour everyone's remanding milk into a bucket. The kids seemed to like having these jobs and so that is another way to motivate the students to eat efficiently, because those who were done were those who got to have a specific job. While they were doing their homework, boys and girls were mixed at the tables and they seemed to not want to be doing their work and would rather socialize. There was a lot of saying "_focus and do your homework" from the adults to the children.
2nd visit: I was able to get a lot of insight this during this visit that correlated to my inquiry question. When I first arrived, the kids were doing their homework. I noticed a lot of the same things happening as i did last visit, such as some students were more focused than others and today I noticed that those that were focused were those that were being helped one on one. Those that were not focused were either trying to do their work, or just looking around, trying to communicate with their friends from across the room or just dancing in their seat. The adults are very strict about everyone remaining in their seats while everyone finishes up their work and as soon as they see someone out of their seat they will ask them what are they doing up. I also noticed one boy who was done with his work as if he could help Mr._ out by helping the girls finish their homework. He was allowed and it clearly showed that he loved having this job as he went around to all the girls asking if they needed help. I noticed that there are a lot more students than teachers and so I wonder if the kids that aren't focused on their homework are just not focused because they are not being watched like a hawk every minute, because the kids that are getting help are focusing on getting their work done. I also wonder how this affects their motivation to get their work done. Are they frustrated if they need help and are not receiving help right away because the adults are busy helping other students and therefore the students try and find something else to do like talk to their friends or just release energy in their seats by fidgeting around. I noticed that girls and boys wanted to show off to each other. I over heard one girl say "let me show you my handwriting" and then i noticed in the gym how one boy was doing handstands for his friends and then his friends wanted to try and do them too. While in the gym they played this game that required partners, and i noticed that girls partnered up with girls and boys with boys. This game was a competition and some students took the competition more as a friendly competition while others took it more seriously. I noticed two girls who were partners get really upset when they got out and they said "that's not FAIR, they cheated." I think at this age fairness is a big concern in their eyes. I also overheard another conversation in which a boy was getting in trouble and had to stand against the wall, but it wasn't his fault because "she was in MY face". This just shows again how they care about fairness.
I mentioned last week that all the students seemed to like the male adults better than the female adults and i noticed today that the male adults sat with the kids and worked on their homework while the female adult just walked around from kid to kid trying to help many kids at once. I also noticed that the male adults are all black and so are the kids so i wonder if they feel more comfortable with them as they are all from the same culture and have that same lingo. I also mentioned that they wear uniforms, but not specific uniforms. Today i was trying to see what brand of shoe was most popular and it looked to me like the Nikes were. I also noticed that more than half the girls had breads ( I don't know much about this cultures hair but it was just something i picked up on, that maybe it's "cool" to have breads with beads).
As far as relating my observation to my inquiry question, I noticed that there isn't specifically an incentive to getting their homework done, and that may be why there are always kids just fooling around, because they know they have like an hour to get their work done, and they know they have to sit in their seats the whole time, so they have nothing to really look forward to upon completion of their homework. When they are done with their work they get to pick a book of their choice and sit and read. To me, I don't consider that an incentive because what if a student doesn't want to read. They are going to linger our their homework and stall longer because they can just say "they are still working" so that they don't have to read. I did hear one adult tell two girls "Focus and get your work done so that you do not have to worry about doing it at home". I thought this was some verbal motivation and the two girls did then work a little until he walked away and then they continued to goof off. This adult also threatened them by saying he wasn't going to help them tomorrow if they didn't focus. To me that is motivation because clearly these girls love that they are being helped with their work. Another motivation aspect i noticed was that if a child was caught out of their seat they had to go stand on the wall. No child wanted to stand on the wall in front of everyone but they did it if the adult told them too.
I got the opportunity to talk to two third grade girls as they came up to me and asked what I was doing here. (i was just standing and watching them so i would want to know who i was and what i was writing down too!!) I took this opportunity to ask them about their classrooms during the school hours. They are both in third grade but have different teachers. They both told me about the "Ring" system they have. These Rings are like braceletes and everyone wants to earn rings, as rings can correlate into money for their school classroom either at the end of the week or the end of the school year. While you earn your rings for good behavior, good listening, keeping your desk organized, staying on task, doing your homework, etc... you can also get your rings taken away if you are being disrespectful. Depending on how bad you were behaving and what you were doing, determined how many rings where taken away from you. This whole ring system was something they really enjoyed as it was almost a competition to see who could get the most rings. They said in order to get a ring you had to "work for it". This is motivation with incentives and these girls really enjoy it. They also have specific jobs in their classroom and they like having jobs because it makes them "feel important and special". I did this similar concept with my Kindergartners when i was a camp counselor this past summer. We would give silly bands for those who were helpful, and on their best behavior, and everyone always wanted to earn a silly band. I am starting to notice that at this age, pre adolscents- incentives are a very good way to motivate students to not only do their work but be on their best behavior.
3rd visit:
Today during my observation I was able to interact with more students I talked to a boy and girl 4th grader and the same third graders that I talked to last week along with another boy 3rd grader. To get them to start talking, I prompted them with a series of questions:
What grade are you in?
Do you like your teacher?
What do you like about your teacher?
Does he or she give you verbal or written praise such as good job! Or keep up the good work, I am proud of you? Does this motivate you?
Does he or she give you a prize for good behavior? Would you rather a prize or would verbal praises be good enough to motivate you?
The fourth grade girl stated she liked her teacher because she was funny, and the third grade boy said he liked his teacher because if they behave well, they get to go outside. This to me is motivation as the students seemed to love getting out of their classroom and going outside because that's not the norm when your in school. I remember when I was their age, going outside during the middle of the day during your class time was the most fun.
They all started to tell me about this color system they have in their rooms, where it sounds like a traffic light, but instead of red, yellow, and green, they have purple blue and pink. Basically everyday you start at purple and throughout the day your name that's clipped onto these colors can be moved according to your behavior. They said that if you get on purple you will get a call home and write about what you did wrong forty times during specials and recess. This is an example of behavioral motivation as they did not want to stay in during specials and recess to write what they did wrong, and they also didn't want to get a call home.
The 4th graders said they are motivated by verbal and written praise and don’t necessarily need something tangible to do well. The 3rd graders said they didn’t need the rings either and that they are motivated through praise but yet the ring system is fun because it keeps good behavior in the classroom.
The girl I talked to last week said she was bad in the beginning of 3rd grade she is in third grade now. She defined bad as not doing your homework for one day. She didn’t do her homework because she didn’t have anyone to help her and she wasn’t in after school program yet. She has two sisters, one brother. Sisters: 13yrs old, and 6yrs old, brother is 9 and she is 8. Live with mom and dad, who both work all night so the kids have to go to sleep home alone. They walk home, and the 13 year old has the key to get home. Older sister checks the homework, and acts like the mom. She takes care of them and puts them to bed. “Parents climb through window when they get home”, and she sees her parents in the morning. She gets to see them on the weekends all the time. She likes coming to school because it’s a place where she can learn. She loves her teachers; “if you respect them then they will respect you back”. She has a scorecard that she has to take home everyday and get signed by her parents, this motivates her to do well because she wanted to make her parents proud.
4th visit:
My fourth visit was actually to a different school. While at this other school, I was tutoring a little girl one on one with reading. Her teacher told me in front of her that she is a smart girl but gets distracted by her friends during class time. You can tell that she loved the one on one attention and she did know what we were talking about. She was really excited to be able to right on the mini whiteboards. I think it is sometimes the little things like writing on the whiteboards that will keep students engaged as it's not the typical pen and paper. I also believed that the one on one attention I was giving her along with the positive feedback and high fives made her more attentive. I was talking to a lady in the main office before I worked with this little girl, and she was telling me about these group of kids that were not behaving, she went up to these kids and thanked them for something and told them how awesome they were and the smiles on their faces where huge she said. She said they are used to hearing all negatives that it's the verbal positives that made them happy. When the whole class was in the computer lab, they had to do a literacy test as well as a math test. The teacher stated that when they got done with these two tests they can have free time and play whatever games they wanted (granted these games were approved by the school and of course educational) but i noticed that all the kids went right to work and did what they were supposed too. This was first and second grade.
5th visit:
My 5th visit was not at all different from my first three. I talked to the students again and they continued to tell me about the bracelets they received for good behavior and getting their work done. This incentive seems to work for motivating the students to behave well and complete their tasks. It seems as if their is a lot of extrinsic motivation going on, as they complete their work and behave in order to achieve a reward of some sort. It is interesting to note how the fourth graders do not use this bracelet system and they are just motivated by praise from their teacher.
It's hard to pinpoint if a child is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated just by observing an after school program. I feel as if intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are not necessarily polar opposites but rather they might work together in some way. For example, they are using the bracelet system in 3rd grade possibly to teach the students why good behavior is necessary and completing their school work is important. Then when they get to 4th grade, they take away a tangible reward now some may be intrinsically motivated, as one 4th grade student said he likes to come to school to learn, and that he doesn't need a reward. Although he does like to make his teacher proud and to see that she appreciates his work through verbal and positive praise, so there is still extrinsic motivation. I believe that extrinsic motivation can eventually stimulate intrinsic motivation, but through my observations thus far, I believe that students seem to be extrinsically motivated, and not even to get an incentive, but just to receive a reward, such as good grades, or teacher recognition.
6th visit:
I felt as if I had utilized my observations and concluded some information through my observations at Winton, and so for my 6th visit I decided to talk to my little cousins, of 4th and 6th grade. They both enjoy school and have grown up knowing that school was important and getting their work done is required. They like to please their parents and teachers. They do not receive any incentive rewards, but want to get good grades. There is a consequence in fourth grade however. That consequence is walking 5 labs during recess if they misbehaved in class. They both enjoy learning when it is a subject that they enjoy. This to me could be intrinsic motivation because they enjoy and want to learn something for their own interest when they are interested in it. This stimulates a question for me, if a teacher can make the lessons/subject he or she teaches, will the students be intrinsically or still extrinsically motivated?
I still see more extrinsic motivation then intrinsic motivation with my cousins as they both love to hear their teacher give them positive feedback as that makes them more motivated to do well and please their teacher even more to make him/her proud. They also like to visually see that the work they are doing is appreciated.
D. Summarize and describe your experience in relation to the concepts in our textbook
Physical
Students are growing, and therefore need to eat. After school the first thing the students do is get a snack. This snack is usually a bowl of cereal, in which should keep them satisfied until they get dinner (which is also provided by the after school program). After they get their snack and do their homework they have a time where they can release their energy and exercise. This is important as obesity is a big issue in today's society, and physical involvement is essential. Day I watched them play a game in the gym, before they could play they had to listen to the rules, and just running around in general was good or their physical involvement as physical activity supports many aspects of children's development.
Page Numbers: 225, 226, 227, 229, 231
Cognitive
I noticed when the students were working on their homework, regardless of their age, some of them had a good attention span and got their work done, while others were not interested in doing their work. The book states how in "middle childhood, attention becomes more selective, adaptable, and planful" (235). I was not working with these students one on one so it was hard to really see where they are cognitively. I did notice the way they talked, and that was somewhat different than the way my cousins would talk. Taking into the class and race difference, the pragmatics and narrative style was definitely different. This correlates to the child's culture and environment in which they are growing up because children pick up on the narrative styles of significant adults in their lives. I also noticed the teacher to student interaction. While the teacher in this case was the after school volunteer, I noticed that the kids would gravitate towards the young man more so than the female. The female would just walk around and occasionally help the kids, while the young man held conversations with them, sat at the table with them, and gave them his full attention. "Elementary school students describe good teachers as caring, helpful and stimulating" (250) and the way the young man interacted with the students was definitely showed those good teacher characteristics. I also noticed that the students knew what was expected and what they should be doing after they finished with their food or homework. This to me correlates to the text and memory performance on page 237. Although this memory performance is not based on their school work, I can see a connection because what they do after school is a routine and they apply what they know they have to do, to their actions each week. For example, if they get in trouble one week, the following week they will not make the same mistake because they remembered the consequence.
Page Numbers: 235, 246, 247, 250, 237
Emotional
The observation when I talked to my cousin, was that she is aware of her self concept and understanding. She told me what she was good at, what she was not good at, and what she liked and disliked. She was also able to describe to me her older sisters qualities as well. Even at Winton one of the girls told me she was a "bad kid" and when told me what she meant by "bad". Through my Winton observations I have noticed their moral development in which they know the rules and what they should and shouldn't be doing. Even when talking to some of the students, they know the rules of their classroom, as many stated they behave so they do not get in trouble. When they played a game in the gym, it was event that they had an emotional understanding. One group was sad because they knew they lost and felt as if the game was unfair. School aged children's understanding of mental activity means that they are likely to explain emotion by referring to internal states, such as happy or sad thoughts.
Page Numbers: 257, 258, 261, 262
Social
I have noticed that the kids just want to talk. Their social time is important, and was evident when they have to get their social time threatened because they were misbehaving and therefore would have to eat in silence. I noticed that usually boys and girls where for the most part separated in the older aged kids, but for the younger ones 3rd and below, boys and girls were mixed. I didn't necessarily see any cliques of any sort, or at least any that were evident to me. It was interesting to note how they had to wear clothes that fit the dress code, but still showed their own style through their shoes and hair styles and even in the clothes they picked. Their dress code was just certain colors not an actual uniform.
They were all very antsy and seemed to have a lot of energy, and I'm not sure if it is because it was after school or because of their age.
A lot of these children are in after school because their parents work and so I feel as if their parent to child relationship correlates to what the text says "the amount of time children spend with parents declines dramatically". The one girl I talked to said she only saw her parents in the morning and that was it. I'm not exactly sure about their home life but I am sure that some of these kids deal with divorce and being and only child, etc.
Page Numbers: 264, 265, 269, 270+
Revisiting Your Curiosities
W: What you want to know (curiosities)
[Answer your original question as best as you can, given the course material and your observations. You must make at least 4 references to the text with page numbers.]
1. My original question was, In the United states, are students in grades 4-9, more intrinsically (motivated for personal satisfaction) or extrinsically motivated (motivated to earn an award or avoid punishment) and why. After observations, research and readings, I am able to say that it's very hard to specifically pinpoint if a student is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated because there are many depending factors that take play into someones motivation. What I mean by motivation is, what does it take for a Middle School student to stay engaged and focused to want to succeed in a task. Intrinsic Motivation: Self-Motivation; The student studies a topic with a desire to learn to satisfy his or her natural curiosity. Extrinsic Motivation: Learning for rewards rather than pure interest -fear of punishment -need for positive recognition -studies to satisfy a specific requirement -want to please the teacher. Children who do well in school might come to enjoy learning, feel capable of taking on challenges, and like to master the material independently as a result of receiving high marks and positive feedback. Children who do poorly in school are more often subjected to lectures from teachers and parents about how and why they should be doing better, thus possibly shifting their attention to more external sources of motivation. I use words such as may, possibly, could, etc, to emphasize the fact that It's not definite that a child who does well in school for example will come to school ready to learn and be intrinsically motivated. Or even a child who is lower class will be more extrinsically motivated because of his social class. Middle school children are going through a lot during their middle school years, which can lead to plausible intrinsic or extrinsic motives. Cognitive and Emotional Social Development for students 11-16yrs, according to Exploring Life Span Development, include the following:
Cognitive-gains in hypothetico-deductive reasoning and propositional thought. -Improves scientific reasoning -more self conscious and self focused
Emotional/Social-striving for autonomy; less time with family, more time with friends -organized peer groups -cliques are formed by similar values -peer pressure increase
With knowing the students developmental stage, it's important to note the plausible reasons for positive or negative student motivation.
•Students may do what is asked if they feel they have a relationship with you as the teacher. -Successful Relationships include Trust and Respect
•Self Esteem can play a role in students engagement and motivation
•Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
•Need For Competence and Self Worth
•Need for Relatedness
•Need for Affiliation
•Need for Approval
•Need for Achievement
•Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic motivation co-exist -Extrinsic rewards may ignite intrinsic motivation and reinforce learning -internalized motivation: when original external motives, overtime, have become incorporated into one's personal foal or value system
According to research, Intrinsic motivation DECLINES across the 3-8 grade levels and there is slim to none in the change of extrinsic motivation. This may be because schools are tightening controls and limiting student choices just as students’ autonomy needs begin to increase. According to my observations, Students love to hear that their teacher is proud of them. Through positive reinforcement and positive praise, students have stated they feel motivated to work harder so they can hear again how their hard work and appropriate behavior is appreciated. Students are said to have this be their preferred way of motivating them to strive to be their best.
Visually seeing the teacher acknowledges good behavior, and intervenes with consequences for negative behavior, stimulates a want to behave appropriately. Students have said that they are motivated because they do not want to get in trouble because they can see the consequence. This is the same for stickers and positive comments on assignments or a “wall of fame” for excellent work.
Silent rewards range from bracelets, to candy, to everything in between. These incentives may serve as a way to motivate students to have good behavior and stay focused on their academic work. I called them silent rewards because the teacher is not verbally or visually motivating them, while tangible incentive item is.
2. What new questions emerge for you as a future teacher?
I noticed a lot of tangible rewards/incentives such as candy and bracelets as motivation for good behavior and getting work done. I now want to know, what are the best practices/ what works the best for classroom management and how to manage students behavior in a classroom of moody, middle school students.
Point of article: Article shows how in a graduate course an instructor removed grading in a classroom management course which helped teachers see anew connection between good teaching, good learning and good management. Reasons she removed grading: -She was never sure her grades accurately evaluated the students LEARNING -she's seen too many students just say and write what they think she wants to hear Things to keep in mind about these students: -They were already motivated to take the class and improve their teaching -physchological safety could be enhanced dtlar-part of the course being about personal values and beliefs -large part of course involved examining their beliefs with their classroom management practices -instructor removing herself from the grading process, contingent rewards of instructor grading disappeared
-class was self graded as a way to remove external incentives and allow students to experience their own motivation levels without outside influence.
Removing Contingent Rewards Within the context of an experience in internal motivation, the findings align with the literature on contingent rewards. The learning process took priority over performance concerns. Most stu- dents reported being more authentically involved in their own learning and able to explore topics that truly interested them, rather than tailoring their work for a grade. Students experienced
Removing external judgment helped these participants better understand that good teaching paves the way to better learning and better classroom management.
main thing from this experience is what it’s like to be in the students’ shoes.what’s left when you take away all the externals. All that’s left is whether the topic is interesting to you. So my main job is to make things interesting for my kids. It’s one of those things I knew but didn’t really know until I experienced it. I will never teach the old way again.
external incentives: -most researchers agree that external incentives, if used carefully, can have positive effects on student achievement and behavior. -reluctant learners -students with low interest in subject -may lead to gains in achievement and performance but not necessarily internal motivation
Contingent Rewards: Those promised in advance if certain conditions are met: If you do all the work you'll get an A -will interfere with internal motivation -you should spontaneously praise or celebrate success -creates a performance not a process -fewer risks to make sure we succeed are taken when we know we are promised a reward for completing a project successfully -we learn from our mistakes so we should betaking risks -reduces the psychological safety necessary for honesty about personal beliefs, perhaps and failings -no one wants to share something with someone who is giving out rewards as they fear they won't get one -diminishes the value of the task and discourages interest -whatever you are doing is clearly not exciting if you have to get rewarded for it -lose their power when withdrawn -its rare if the teacher hasn't heard "whats the reward" -serve as de-motivators for those already interested in the topic -if you are interested in the topic you will do the work for free but probably won't do it for free after you begin to get paid for it
Article 2
Engagement in Classroom Learning: Creating Temporal Participation Incentives for Extrinsically Motivated Students Through Bonus Credits
Extrinsic motivation: -should be used as support for intrinsic motivation if intrinsic goals are framed poperly -can be effectively used only as reinforcing tools to enhance learners motivation for learning -must be framed in a manner perceived as being autonomy supportive as opposed to controlling -students should not feel forced but supported with extrinsic rewards -teachers must create interest in classroom activities
Teaching method: -lecture with in class activities and granting bonus scores for additional student undertakings with a teamwork setup students are directed to understand that the granting bonus is a reward closely associated with individual efforts to arrive at the teams ultimate goals of mastering the learning material student actives to acquire bonus scores are voluntary/optional (encouraged with extrinsic rewards) in class teamwork situation: students are rewarded for spending time learning how to articulate and teach on another which makes students communicate, share thoughts, and think on a deeper level (teacher is then facilitator)
Article 3
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the Classroom: Age Differences and Academic Correlates
Harter (1980, 1981)—assesses intrinsic motivation solely in opposition to extrinsic motivation. Harter’s (1981) scale can be divided into motivational and informational components
This motivational component comprises three sub- scales that represent intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation as contrasting ends of a single dimension: -intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may not necessarily be polar opposites.
1.measures a preference for challenging schoolwork versus a preference for assignments that can be accomplished successfully with little effort
as the desire for challenging work increases, the desire for easy work likely decreases
the desire for either challenging or easy work might depend on a particular activity
2.measures the extent to which behavior is motivated by curiosity or interest versus a desire to please the teacher or to obtain good grades
children engage in an academic task both because it interests them and because it will please their teacher or help them get a good grade
3.third measures a preference for mastering academic material independently versus depending heavily on the teacher for guidance.
children may be motivated by both independent problem solving and assistance from the teacher depending on the stage in the learning process and the particular problem in question
internalized motivation—those originally external motives that have over time become incorporated into one’s personal goal or value systems. Although studying for an exam may not always hold intrinsic interest, for example, students could learn that it is indeed good for them and is a worthwhile
In the classroom, it seems, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can and do coexist.
intrinsic motivation is certainly not being supplanted by extrinsic motivation in the middle school years. It may also be that learning becomes increasingly decon- textualized, such that students find increasingly little that is di- rectly relevant or useful in their daily lives there was a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and performance both in class and on standardized tests.
being interested and engaged in the process of education results in better learning and achievement
negative relationship between both indices of performance and extrinsic motiva- tion, the extent that children reported a desire for easy work and an aim to please their teachers, they performed worse both on standardized tests and in regular classroom assessments
This demonstration of the adaptive value of intrinsic motivation relative to extrinsic motivation is particularly informative in light of recent debates about the impact of tangible rewards and other forms of extrinsic motivation on intrinsic interest and creativity
It is certainly plausible that children who do well in school might come to enjoy learning, feel capable of taking on challenges, and like to master the material independently as a result of receiving high marks and positive feedback. It is also possible that children who do poorly in school are more often subjected to lectures from teachers and parents about how and why they should be doing better, thus shifting their attention to more external sources of motivation.
Article 4
Profiles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: A person-centered approach to motivation and achievement in middle school
"The present study was designed to identify and evaluate naturally-occurring combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Cluster analysis revealed four dis- tinct motivational profiles based on a sample of middle- school students (N = 343): those with high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (high quantity), low levels of both types of motivation (low quantity), high intrinsic coupled with low extrinsic motivation (good quality) and low intrinsic coupled with high extrinsic motivation (poor quality). Across two time points, students in the good quality cluster received higher grades than their peers in other clusters with poorer quality motivation, even if that motivation was present in high quantities. An examination of shifts in motivational profiles over the course of a school year revealed an intriguing balance of stability and change. Consistent with variable-centered research, movement tended to be away from the good quality and high quantity clusters and toward the poor quality and low quantity clusters"
Name of Student: RACHEL THRUN
Table of Contents
Pre-Adolescence
W: What you want to know (curiosities)
In the United states, are students in grades 4-9, more intrinsically (motivated for personal satisfaction) or extrinsically motivated (motivated to earn an award or avoid punishment) and why.
L: What you learned
1. Physical
Body GrowthR (Review):
A (Apply):
R (Reflect):
2. Cognitive
While it ultimately depends on the child and their background that determines their cognitive development, their learning in school has a huge impact. It was stated on page 248 that students who are instructed though constructivism rather than traditional classroom style, have gains in academic motivation, critical thinking, social and moral maturity, and positive attitudes toward school. I thought this was interesting as I think back to my inquiry question as to how children are motivated, and it seems as according to the book, when children work in small groups with hands on activities that make them think about what they are doing more than a teacher standing in the front of the classroom it will motivate them to want to find more answers. Traditional classrooms might become redundant and students might lead to relining on the teacher for answers. It states on the same page that when "teacher directed instruction is emphasized in preschool and kindergarten, it actually undermines academic motivation and achievement, especially in low SES children."3. Emotional
Middle Childhood is an age where emotions are like a roller coaster ride. These kids are developing physically and cognitively at different rates. There are changes in self concept and self esteem as they are searching for their own identities. On page, 315, it states, "academic self esteem is a powerful predictor of teenagers' judgments of the importance and usefulness of school subjects, willingness to exert effort, achievement, and eventual career choice...authoritative parenting predicts high self esteem and does encouragement from teachers." (Exploring Lifespan Development, Berk). This statement relates back to my inquiry question in which positive feedback and encouragement to your students can help boast their self esteem. Some students might not have authoritative parents, or just have a low self esteem and if you as a teacher can motivate your students by providing them positive feedback, you can ultimately increase the child's self esteem, which will help them find their identity in the long run.4. Social
As far as motivating your students for the middle childhood age, you not only want to motivate them to do their best on their school work, but more so motivate them to want to achieve and do well with all aspects of life. Motivate them to build and maintain strong friendships with their peers, and have a welcoming "clique" that doesn't exclude anyone based on their religion, race, interests, etc. Create a classroom environment that is friendly so all students feel welcomed. "Adolescent peer groups are organized into more intimate cliques, particually important to girls, and crowds, which grant teenagers an identity within the larger social structure of the school" (335) If you have a classroom that is warm and welcoming, you may subtly motivate students to be more accepting of their peers outside of the classroom.Observation Site Information
A. Site details:
B. Describe your setting
Winton Hills Academy is a Cincinnati Public School run by Principal Russo. This school is preschool to grade 6 and 90% of the students at this school are Black. It's designation is under the Continuous Improvement category and has not met the adequate yearly progress. They have 450 students enrolled and have a 21 student to teacher ratio which is not much more than the average 18 students to teacher ratio for CPS schools.91% of the 450 students are classified as "economically disadvantaged" with 97% paying reduced lunch prices.The expectations for their students are to be positive and prepared, responsible and respectful, and safe. They also are required to complete their homework on a daily basis.They are to wear a uniform which includes a navy, light blue, or white Polo with Navy, or khaki pants or skirt.
Winton Hills Academy is not just a school. They are a Community Learning Center. We have a wonderful partnership program with Win Med Health Center which is called the Fast Track Program. A child who is enrolled in this program may get urgent treatment for medical and dental problems at the clinic across the street from school.
I am observing their after school program with is run through the YMCA. "
YMCA partners with Winton Hills Academy to provide a daily program after school that lasts until 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This gives our students a safe place to stay, work on homework, and participate in many fun and educational activities. These activities include dance, cooking, taekwondo, music, physical activities, sports, crafting, painting, legorobotics, and many more. The after school program extends the school day and provides many other educational opportunities that can not always be obtained during the regular school day. Parents are encouraged to take part in many activities during the program."
After school Schedule:
2:00-2:35 Snack/Social hour
2:40-3:40 Homework/Enrichment
3:45-4:15 Exercise
4:20-4:45 Dinner
4:50-5:45 Breakout/Clubs
C. Describe what you did at the site (free-write/journal formatting)
1st visit:Coming into this visit I already knew what to expect as I tutored for this school last year. I knew that these students had to wear a "uniform" or certain colors, (blue shirt kahki pants) and I knew all the administration focuses on no bullying and emphasize good character, proper manors, and good morals. This was all evident as I watched them eat their snack. The adults in the room made sure all the girls with skirts on had their legs crossed. They were not to talk with food in their mouth, and they were not really supposed to be talking at all, as it was time to eat and not socialize. There was a lot of chatter at one point, so the adult turned the lights off and said, we are going to sit here quietly and this is going to affect your social time. (This correlates to motivation and behavior, if you are behaving well you wont have to sit in silence). The kids who were finished were given a job to do such as roll around the garbage can and collect the garbage or pour everyone's remanding milk into a bucket. The kids seemed to like having these jobs and so that is another way to motivate the students to eat efficiently, because those who were done were those who got to have a specific job. While they were doing their homework, boys and girls were mixed at the tables and they seemed to not want to be doing their work and would rather socialize. There was a lot of saying "_focus and do your homework" from the adults to the children.
2nd visit:
I was able to get a lot of insight this during this visit that correlated to my inquiry question. When I first arrived, the kids were doing their homework. I noticed a lot of the same things happening as i did last visit, such as some students were more focused than others and today I noticed that those that were focused were those that were being helped one on one. Those that were not focused were either trying to do their work, or just looking around, trying to communicate with their friends from across the room or just dancing in their seat. The adults are very strict about everyone remaining in their seats while everyone finishes up their work and as soon as they see someone out of their seat they will ask them what are they doing up.
I also noticed one boy who was done with his work as if he could help Mr._ out by helping the girls finish their homework. He was allowed and it clearly showed that he loved having this job as he went around to all the girls asking if they needed help. I noticed that there are a lot more students than teachers and so I wonder if the kids that aren't focused on their homework are just not focused because they are not being watched like a hawk every minute, because the kids that are getting help are focusing on getting their work done. I also wonder how this affects their motivation to get their work done. Are they frustrated if they need help and are not receiving help right away because the adults are busy helping other students and therefore the students try and find something else to do like talk to their friends or just release energy in their seats by fidgeting around. I noticed that girls and boys wanted to show off to each other. I over heard one girl say "let me show you my handwriting" and then i noticed in the gym how one boy was doing handstands for his friends and then his friends wanted to try and do them too. While in the gym they played this game that required partners, and i noticed that girls partnered up with girls and boys with boys. This game was a competition and some students took the competition more as a friendly competition while others took it more seriously. I noticed two girls who were partners get really upset when they got out and they said "that's not FAIR, they cheated." I think at this age fairness is a big concern in their eyes. I also overheard another conversation in which a boy was getting in trouble and had to stand against the wall, but it wasn't his fault because "she was in MY face". This just shows again how they care about fairness.
I mentioned last week that all the students seemed to like the male adults better than the female adults and i noticed today that the male adults sat with the kids and worked on their homework while the female adult just walked around from kid to kid trying to help many kids at once. I also noticed that the male adults are all black and so are the kids so i wonder if they feel more comfortable with them as they are all from the same culture and have that same lingo. I also mentioned that they wear uniforms, but not specific uniforms. Today i was trying to see what brand of shoe was most popular and it looked to me like the Nikes were. I also noticed that more than half the girls had breads ( I don't know much about this cultures hair but it was just something i picked up on, that maybe it's "cool" to have breads with beads).
As far as relating my observation to my inquiry question, I noticed that there isn't specifically an incentive to getting their homework done, and that may be why there are always kids just fooling around, because they know they have like an hour to get their work done, and they know they have to sit in their seats the whole time, so they have nothing to really look forward to upon completion of their homework. When they are done with their work they get to pick a book of their choice and sit and read. To me, I don't consider that an incentive because what if a student doesn't want to read. They are going to linger our their homework and stall longer because they can just say "they are still working" so that they don't have to read. I did hear one adult tell two girls "Focus and get your work done so that you do not have to worry about doing it at home". I thought this was some verbal motivation and the two girls did then work a little until he walked away and then they continued to goof off. This adult also threatened them by saying he wasn't going to help them tomorrow if they didn't focus. To me that is motivation because clearly these girls love that they are being helped with their work. Another motivation aspect i noticed was that if a child was caught out of their seat they had to go stand on the wall. No child wanted to stand on the wall in front of everyone but they did it if the adult told them too.
I got the opportunity to talk to two third grade girls as they came up to me and asked what I was doing here. (i was just standing and watching them so i would want to know who i was and what i was writing down too!!) I took this opportunity to ask them about their classrooms during the school hours. They are both in third grade but have different teachers. They both told me about the "Ring" system they have. These Rings are like braceletes and everyone wants to earn rings, as rings can correlate into money for their school classroom either at the end of the week or the end of the school year. While you earn your rings for good behavior, good listening, keeping your desk organized, staying on task, doing your homework, etc... you can also get your rings taken away if you are being disrespectful. Depending on how bad you were behaving and what you were doing, determined how many rings where taken away from you. This whole ring system was something they really enjoyed as it was almost a competition to see who could get the most rings. They said in order to get a ring you had to "work for it". This is motivation with incentives and these girls really enjoy it. They also have specific jobs in their classroom and they like having jobs because it makes them "feel important and special". I did this similar concept with my Kindergartners when i was a camp counselor this past summer. We would give silly bands for those who were helpful, and on their best behavior, and everyone always wanted to earn a silly band. I am starting to notice that at this age, pre adolscents- incentives are a very good way to motivate students to not only do their work but be on their best behavior.
3rd visit:
Today during my observation I was able to interact with more students I talked to a boy and girl 4th grader and the same third graders that I talked to last week along with another boy 3rd grader.
To get them to start talking, I prompted them with a series of questions:
The fourth grade girl stated she liked her teacher because she was funny, and the third grade boy said he liked his teacher because if they behave well, they get to go outside. This to me is motivation as the students seemed to love getting out of their classroom and going outside because that's not the norm when your in school. I remember when I was their age, going outside during the middle of the day during your class time was the most fun.
They all started to tell me about this color system they have in their rooms, where it sounds like a traffic light, but instead of red, yellow, and green, they have purple blue and pink. Basically everyday you start at purple and throughout the day your name that's clipped onto these colors can be moved according to your behavior. They said that if you get on purple you will get a call home and write about what you did wrong forty times during specials and recess. This is an example of behavioral motivation as they did not want to stay in during specials and recess to write what they did wrong, and they also didn't want to get a call home.
The 4th graders said they are motivated by verbal and written praise and don’t necessarily need something tangible to do well. The 3rd graders said they didn’t need the rings either and that they are motivated through praise but yet the ring system is fun because it keeps good behavior in the classroom.
The girl I talked to last week said she was bad in the beginning of 3rd grade she is in third grade now. She defined bad as not doing your homework for one day. She didn’t do her homework because she didn’t have anyone to help her and she wasn’t in after school program yet. She has two sisters, one brother. Sisters: 13yrs old, and 6yrs old, brother is 9 and she is 8. Live with mom and dad, who both work all night so the kids have to go to sleep home alone. They walk home, and the 13 year old has the key to get home. Older sister checks the homework, and acts like the mom. She takes care of them and puts them to bed. “Parents climb through window when they get home”, and she sees her parents in the morning. She gets to see them on the weekends all the time. She likes coming to school because it’s a place where she can learn. She loves her teachers; “if you respect them then they will respect you back”. She has a scorecard that she has to take home everyday and get signed by her parents, this motivates her to do well because she wanted to make her parents proud.
4th visit:
My fourth visit was actually to a different school. While at this other school, I was tutoring a little girl one on one with reading. Her teacher told me in front of her that she is a smart girl but gets distracted by her friends during class time. You can tell that she loved the one on one attention and she did know what we were talking about. She was really excited to be able to right on the mini whiteboards. I think it is sometimes the little things like writing on the whiteboards that will keep students engaged as it's not the typical pen and paper. I also believed that the one on one attention I was giving her along with the positive feedback and high fives made her more attentive. I was talking to a lady in the main office before I worked with this little girl, and she was telling me about these group of kids that were not behaving, she went up to these kids and thanked them for something and told them how awesome they were and the smiles on their faces where huge she said. She said they are used to hearing all negatives that it's the verbal positives that made them happy. When the whole class was in the computer lab, they had to do a literacy test as well as a math test. The teacher stated that when they got done with these two tests they can have free time and play whatever games they wanted (granted these games were approved by the school and of course educational) but i noticed that all the kids went right to work and did what they were supposed too. This was first and second grade.
5th visit:
My 5th visit was not at all different from my first three. I talked to the students again and they continued to tell me about the bracelets they received for good behavior and getting their work done. This incentive seems to work for motivating the students to behave well and complete their tasks. It seems as if their is a lot of extrinsic motivation going on, as they complete their work and behave in order to achieve a reward of some sort. It is interesting to note how the fourth graders do not use this bracelet system and they are just motivated by praise from their teacher.
It's hard to pinpoint if a child is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated just by observing an after school program. I feel as if intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation are not necessarily polar opposites but rather they might work together in some way. For example, they are using the bracelet system in 3rd grade possibly to teach the students why good behavior is necessary and completing their school work is important. Then when they get to 4th grade, they take away a tangible reward now some may be intrinsically motivated, as one 4th grade student said he likes to come to school to learn, and that he doesn't need a reward. Although he does like to make his teacher proud and to see that she appreciates his work through verbal and positive praise, so there is still extrinsic motivation. I believe that extrinsic motivation can eventually stimulate intrinsic motivation, but through my observations thus far, I believe that students seem to be extrinsically motivated, and not even to get an incentive, but just to receive a reward, such as good grades, or teacher recognition.
6th visit:
I felt as if I had utilized my observations and concluded some information through my observations at Winton, and so for my 6th visit I decided to talk to my little cousins, of 4th and 6th grade. They both enjoy school and have grown up knowing that school was important and getting their work done is required. They like to please their parents and teachers. They do not receive any incentive rewards, but want to get good grades. There is a consequence in fourth grade however. That consequence is walking 5 labs during recess if they misbehaved in class. They both enjoy learning when it is a subject that they enjoy. This to me could be intrinsic motivation because they enjoy and want to learn something for their own interest when they are interested in it. This stimulates a question for me, if a teacher can make the lessons/subject he or she teaches, will the students be intrinsically or still extrinsically motivated?
I still see more extrinsic motivation then intrinsic motivation with my cousins as they both love to hear their teacher give them positive feedback as that makes them more motivated to do well and please their teacher even more to make him/her proud. They also like to visually see that the work they are doing is appreciated.
D. Summarize and describe your experience in relation to the concepts in our textbook
Physical
Students are growing, and therefore need to eat. After school the first thing the students do is get a snack. This snack is usually a bowl of cereal, in which should keep them satisfied until they get dinner (which is also provided by the after school program). After they get their snack and do their homework they have a time where they can release their energy and exercise. This is important as obesity is a big issue in today's society, and physical involvement is essential. Day I watched them play a game in the gym, before they could play they had to listen to the rules, and just running around in general was good or their physical involvement as physical activity supports many aspects of children's development.
Page Numbers: 225, 226, 227, 229, 231
Cognitive
I noticed when the students were working on their homework, regardless of their age, some of them had a good attention span and got their work done, while others were not interested in doing their work. The book states how in "middle childhood, attention becomes more selective, adaptable, and planful" (235). I was not working with these students one on one so it was hard to really see where they are cognitively. I did notice the way they talked, and that was somewhat different than the way my cousins would talk. Taking into the class and race difference, the pragmatics and narrative style was definitely different. This correlates to the child's culture and environment in which they are growing up because children pick up on the narrative styles of significant adults in their lives. I also noticed the teacher to student interaction. While the teacher in this case was the after school volunteer, I noticed that the kids would gravitate towards the young man more so than the female. The female would just walk around and occasionally help the kids, while the young man held conversations with them, sat at the table with them, and gave them his full attention. "Elementary school students describe good teachers as caring, helpful and stimulating" (250) and the way the young man interacted with the students was definitely showed those good teacher characteristics. I also noticed that the students knew what was expected and what they should be doing after they finished with their food or homework. This to me correlates to the text and memory performance on page 237. Although this memory performance is not based on their school work, I can see a connection because what they do after school is a routine and they apply what they know they have to do, to their actions each week. For example, if they get in trouble one week, the following week they will not make the same mistake because they remembered the consequence.Page Numbers: 235, 246, 247, 250, 237
Emotional
The observation when I talked to my cousin, was that she is aware of her self concept and understanding. She told me what she was good at, what she was not good at, and what she liked and disliked. She was also able to describe to me her older sisters qualities as well. Even at Winton one of the girls told me she was a "bad kid" and when told me what she meant by "bad". Through my Winton observations I have noticed their moral development in which they know the rules and what they should and shouldn't be doing. Even when talking to some of the students, they know the rules of their classroom, as many stated they behave so they do not get in trouble. When they played a game in the gym, it was event that they had an emotional understanding. One group was sad because they knew they lost and felt as if the game was unfair. School aged children's understanding of mental activity means that they are likely to explain emotion by referring to internal states, such as happy or sad thoughts.Page Numbers: 257, 258, 261, 262
Social
I have noticed that the kids just want to talk. Their social time is important, and was evident when they have to get their social time threatened because they were misbehaving and therefore would have to eat in silence. I noticed that usually boys and girls where for the most part separated in the older aged kids, but for the younger ones 3rd and below, boys and girls were mixed. I didn't necessarily see any cliques of any sort, or at least any that were evident to me. It was interesting to note how they had to wear clothes that fit the dress code, but still showed their own style through their shoes and hair styles and even in the clothes they picked. Their dress code was just certain colors not an actual uniform.They were all very antsy and seemed to have a lot of energy, and I'm not sure if it is because it was after school or because of their age.
A lot of these children are in after school because their parents work and so I feel as if their parent to child relationship correlates to what the text says "the amount of time children spend with parents declines dramatically". The one girl I talked to said she only saw her parents in the morning and that was it. I'm not exactly sure about their home life but I am sure that some of these kids deal with divorce and being and only child, etc.
Page Numbers: 264, 265, 269, 270+
Revisiting Your Curiosities
W: What you want to know (curiosities)[Answer your original question as best as you can, given the course material and your observations. You must make at least 4 references to the text with page numbers.]
1. My original question was, In the United states, are students in grades 4-9, more intrinsically (motivated for personal satisfaction) or extrinsically motivated (motivated to earn an award or avoid punishment) and why. After observations, research and readings, I am able to say that it's very hard to specifically pinpoint if a student is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated because there are many depending factors that take play into someones motivation. What I mean by motivation is, what does it take for a Middle School student to stay engaged and focused to want to succeed in a task. Intrinsic Motivation: Self-Motivation; The student studies a topic with a desire to learn to satisfy his or her natural curiosity. Extrinsic Motivation: Learning for rewards rather than pure interest -fear of punishment -need for positive recognition -studies to satisfy a specific requirement -want to please the teacher. Children who do well in school might come to enjoy learning, feel capable of taking on challenges, and like to master the material independently as a result of receiving high marks and positive feedback. Children who do poorly in school are more often subjected to lectures from teachers and parents about how and why they should be doing better, thus possibly shifting their attention to more external sources of motivation. I use words such as may, possibly, could, etc, to emphasize the fact that It's not definite that a child who does well in school for example will come to school ready to learn and be intrinsically motivated. Or even a child who is lower class will be more extrinsically motivated because of his social class. Middle school children are going through a lot during their middle school years, which can lead to plausible intrinsic or extrinsic motives. Cognitive and Emotional Social Development for students 11-16yrs, according to Exploring Life Span Development, include the following:
Cognitive-gains in hypothetico-deductive reasoning and propositional thought.
-Improves scientific reasoning
-more self conscious and self focused
Emotional/Social-striving for autonomy; less time with family, more time with friends
-organized peer groups
-cliques are formed by similar values
-peer pressure increase
With knowing the students developmental stage, it's important to note the plausible reasons for positive or negative student motivation.
•Students may do what is asked if they feel they have a relationship with you as the teacher.
-Successful Relationships include Trust and Respect
•Self Esteem can play a role in students engagement and motivation
•Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
•Need For Competence and Self Worth
•Need for Relatedness
•Need for Affiliation
•Need for Approval
•Need for Achievement
•Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic motivation co-exist
-Extrinsic rewards may ignite intrinsic motivation and reinforce learning
-internalized motivation: when original external motives, overtime, have become incorporated into one's personal foal or value system
According to research, Intrinsic motivation DECLINES across the 3-8 grade levels and there is slim to none in the change of extrinsic motivation. This may be because schools are tightening controls and limiting student choices just as students’ autonomy needs begin to increase.
According to my observations,
Students love to hear that their teacher is proud of them. Through positive reinforcement and positive praise, students have stated they feel motivated to work harder so they can hear again how their hard work and appropriate behavior is appreciated. Students are said to have this be their preferred way of motivating them to strive to be their best.
Visually seeing the teacher acknowledges good behavior, and intervenes with consequences for negative behavior, stimulates a want to behave appropriately. Students have said that they are motivated because they do not want to get in trouble because they can see the consequence. This is the same for stickers and positive comments on assignments or a “wall of fame” for excellent work.
Silent rewards range from bracelets, to candy, to everything in between. These incentives may serve as a way to motivate students to have good behavior and stay focused on their academic work. I called them silent rewards because the teacher is not verbally or visually motivating them, while tangible incentive item is.
2. What new questions emerge for you as a future teacher?
I noticed a lot of tangible rewards/incentives such as candy and bracelets as motivation for good behavior and getting work done. I now want to know, what are the best practices/ what works the best for classroom management and how to manage students behavior in a classroom of moody, middle school students.
Poster
Article one:
‘‘I Will Never Teach the Old Way Again’’: Classroom Management and External Incentives
I will never.pdf
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Point of article:Article shows how in a graduate course an instructor removed grading in a classroom management course which helped teachers see anew connection between good teaching, good learning and good management.
Reasons she removed grading:
-She was never sure her grades accurately evaluated the students LEARNING
-she's seen too many students just say and write what they think she wants to hear
Things to keep in mind about these students:
-They were already motivated to take the class and improve their teaching
-physchological safety could be enhanced dtlar-part of the course being about personal values and beliefs
-large part of course involved examining their beliefs with their classroom management practices
-instructor removing herself from the grading process, contingent rewards of instructor grading disappeared
-class was self graded as a way to remove external incentives and allow students to experience their own motivation levels without outside influence.
Removing Contingent Rewards
Within the context of an experience in internal motivation, the findings align with the literature on contingent rewards. The learning process took priority over performance concerns. Most stu- dents reported being more authentically involved in their own learning and able to explore topics that truly interested them, rather than tailoring their work for a grade. Students experienced
Removing external judgment helped these participants better understand that good teaching paves the way to better learning and better classroom management.
main thing from this experience is what it’s like to be in the students’ shoes.what’s left when you take away all the externals. All that’s left is whether the topic is interesting to you. So my main job is to make things interesting for my kids. It’s one of those things I knew but didn’t really know until I experienced it. I will never teach the old way again.
external incentives:
-most researchers agree that external incentives, if used carefully, can have positive effects on student achievement and behavior.
-reluctant learners
-students with low interest in subject
-may lead to gains in achievement and performance but not necessarily internal motivation
Contingent Rewards: Those promised in advance if certain conditions are met: If you do all the work you'll get an A
-will interfere with internal motivation
-you should spontaneously praise or celebrate success
-creates a performance not a process
-fewer risks to make sure we succeed are taken when we know we are promised a reward for completing a project successfully
-we learn from our mistakes so we should betaking risks
-reduces the psychological safety necessary for honesty about personal beliefs, perhaps and failings
-no one wants to share something with someone who is giving out rewards as they fear they won't get one
-diminishes the value of the task and discourages interest
-whatever you are doing is clearly not exciting if you have to get rewarded for it
-lose their power when withdrawn
-its rare if the teacher hasn't heard "whats the reward"
-serve as de-motivators for those already interested in the topic
-if you are interested in the topic you will do the work for free but probably won't do it for free after you begin to get paid for it
Article 2
Engagement in Classroom Learning: Creating Temporal Participation Incentives for Extrinsically Motivated Students Through Bonus CreditsExtrinsic motivation:
-should be used as support for intrinsic motivation if intrinsic goals are framed poperly
-can be effectively used only as reinforcing tools to enhance learners motivation for learning
-must be framed in a manner perceived as being autonomy supportive as opposed to controlling
-students should not feel forced but supported with extrinsic rewards
-teachers must create interest in classroom activities
Teaching method:
-lecture with in class activities and granting bonus scores for additional student undertakings with a teamwork setup
students are directed to understand that the granting bonus is a reward closely associated with individual efforts to arrive at the teams ultimate goals of mastering the learning material
student actives to acquire bonus scores are voluntary/optional (encouraged with extrinsic rewards)
in class teamwork situation:
students are rewarded for spending time learning how to articulate and teach on another which makes students communicate, share thoughts, and think on a deeper level (teacher is then facilitator)
Article 3
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the Classroom: Age Differences and Academic CorrelatesHarter (1980, 1981)—assesses intrinsic motivation solely in opposition to extrinsic motivation.
Harter’s (1981) scale can be divided into motivational and informational components
This motivational component comprises three sub- scales that represent intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation as contrasting ends of a single dimension:
-intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may not necessarily be polar opposites.
1.measures a preference for challenging schoolwork versus a preference for assignments that can be accomplished successfully with little effort
- as the desire for challenging work increases, the desire for easy work likely decreases
- the desire for either challenging or easy work might depend on a particular activity
2.measures the extent to which behavior is motivated by curiosity or interest versus a desire to please the teacher or to obtain good grades- children engage in an academic task both because it interests them and because it will please their teacher or help them get a good grade
3.third measures a preference for mastering academic material independently versus depending heavily on the teacher for guidance.- children may be motivated by both independent problem solving and assistance from the teacher depending on the stage in the learning process and the particular problem in question
internalized motivation—those originally external motives that have over time become incorporated into one’s personal goal or value systems. Although studying for an exam may not always hold intrinsic interest, for example, students could learn that it is indeed good for them and is a worthwhile- In the classroom, it seems, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can and do coexist.
intrinsic motivation is certainly not being supplanted by extrinsic motivation in the middle school years. It may also be that learning becomes increasingly decon- textualized, such that students find increasingly little that is di- rectly relevant or useful in their daily livesthere was a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and performance both in class and on standardized tests.
- being interested and engaged in the process of education results in better learning and achievement
- negative relationship between both indices of performance and extrinsic motiva- tion, the extent that children reported a desire for easy work and an aim to please their teachers, they performed worse both on standardized tests and in regular classroom assessments
This demonstration of the adaptive value of intrinsic motivation relative to extrinsic motivation is particularly informative in light of recent debates about the impact of tangible rewards and other forms of extrinsic motivation on intrinsic interest and creativityIt is certainly plausible that children who do well in school might come to enjoy learning, feel capable of taking on challenges, and like to master the material independently as a result of receiving high marks and positive feedback. It is also possible that children who do poorly in school are more often subjected to lectures from teachers and parents about how and why they should be doing better, thus shifting their attention to more external sources of motivation.
Article 4
Profiles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: A person-centered approach to motivation and achievement in middle school"The present study was designed to identify and evaluate naturally-occurring combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Cluster analysis revealed four dis- tinct motivational profiles based on a sample of middle- school students (N = 343): those with high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (high quantity), low levels of both types of motivation (low quantity), high intrinsic coupled with low extrinsic motivation (good quality) and low intrinsic coupled with high extrinsic motivation (poor quality). Across two time points, students in the good quality cluster received higher grades than their peers in other clusters with poorer quality motivation, even if that motivation was present in high quantities. An examination of shifts in motivational profiles over the course of a school year revealed an intriguing balance of stability and change. Consistent with variable-centered research, movement tended to be away from the good quality and high quantity clusters and toward the poor quality and low quantity clusters"
Peer Review
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