Beliefs & Choices About Motivation

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Part 1. What Works for Youas a Student

1. I like a class more if the readings, activities, and assignments are interesting in themselves.

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1. I like a class more if the readings, activities, and assignments are interesting in themselves.

• High intrinsic motivation

2. I work harder and enjoy a class more when I want to learn the content, especially if it will be

useful in my future.

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2. I work harder and enjoy a class more when I want to learn the content, especially if it will be

useful in my future.

• Mastery goal• High value

3. I learn better when I feel connected to the teacher and other students, and when I don’t feel

uncomfortable or unpopular.

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3. I learn better when I feel connected to the teacher and other students, and when I don’t feel

uncomfortable or unpopular.

• Need for affiliation met• Need for relatedness/intimacy met• Need for safety met • Low debilitating anxiety

4. I like knowing that I can do what’s expected of me. I may have to work hard, but I know I can do it

eventually.

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4. I like knowing that I can do what’s expected of me. I may have to work hard, but I know I can do it

eventually.

• High expectancy• High self-efficacy• Need for self-determination met

5. I like challenge, but not too much. It keeps me focused, but not freaked out.

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• Facilitating anxiety• Wobbly Place (ZPD)

5. I like challenge, but not too much. It keeps me focused, but not freaked out.

6. It's OK to make mistakes, because I learn from them. It's OK to look ignorant or unskilled in front

of others, because I'm still learning.

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• Wobbly Place (ZPD)• Mastery goal• Need for safety met

6. It's OK to make mistakes, because I learn from them. It's OK to look ignorant or unskilled in front

of others, because I'm still learning.

7. I give myself credit for my success. I’m smart enough, I worked hard, and I can do that again. If I fail, I can work

harder or try a different approach next time.

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7. I give myself credit for my success. I’m smart enough, I worked hard, and I can do that again. If I fail, I can work

harder or try a different approach next time.

• Attribution: internal, controlled• Positive self-fulfilling prophecy• Resilient self-efficacy• Need for self-determination met

Part 2. Controversies About Teaching

8. Failure can hurt students’ self-esteem and make them dislike school. So it should be easy for

students to succeed.

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8. Failure can hurt students’ self-esteem and make them dislike school. So it should be easy for

students to succeed.

• Self-efficacy• Debilitating anxiety (Wobbly Place?)

9. Structure and routine can become boring. So a teacher should make every class

unpredictable and exciting.

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9. Structure and routine can become boring. So a teacher should make every class

unpredictable and exciting.• Intrinsic motivation• Need for safety

10. Different students have different personal interests. So it’s very difficult to include students’ interests in activities.

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10. Different students have different personal interests. So it’s very difficult to include students’ interests in activities.

• Intrinsic motivation• Value

11. Students can’t handle responsibility. So a teacher shouldn't give many choices, and should

closely monitor students' work.

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11. Students can’t handle responsibility. So a teacher shouldn't give many choices, and should

closely monitor students' work.

• Need for self-determination• Attribution: external• Metacognition• Learned helplessness

12. Authentic (or realistic) activities can confuse or frustrate students. So a teacher shouldn’t worry if

an activity seems “academic” (or artificial).

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12. Authentic (or realistic) activities can confuse or frustrate students. So a teacher shouldn’t worry if

an activity seems “academic” (or artificial).

• Value• Debilitating anxiety • Wobbly Place (ZPD)

13. Big, complex ideas can confuse students. So a teacher should simplify the content and only

present small ideas at a time.

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13. Big, complex ideas can confuse students. So a teacher should simplify the content and only

present small ideas at a time.

• Mastery goal• Teaching for understanding

14. Students cheat because they're lazy or immoral. So a teacher should treat cheaters

like criminals and punish them harshly.

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14. Students cheat because they're lazy or immoral. So a teacher should treat cheaters

like criminals and punish them harshly.• Self-efficacy• Performance goal• Self-handicapping

15. A content area is built on fundamental facts and models. So if a student can remember these facts

accurately and use these models correctly, that student has learned.

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15. A content area is built on fundamental facts and models. So if a student can remember these facts

accurately and use these models correctly, that student has learned.

• Mastery goal

The End