General Principles of Motivation
It is teacher’s task
to enhance students’ motivation
It has been acknowledged that the learning process is a complicated area
that demands sophisticated approach and focus. However, it is in the teacher’s
hand to eliminate students’ apathy by promoting a well-organised course that will enhance
student’s motivation. Thus, even if the student does not have any initiative to
learn, a good teacher can increase the probabilities for learning to occur.
➢Making learning enjoyable
In order to ‘create or
facilitate’ desired motivational patterns some general strategies have been
developed, which become very effective in particular circumstances. First of
all, it is a gift for a teacher to make
learning enjoyable. By creating a warm atmosphere, a teacher will promote
continuous effort and approving attitude towards learning.
➢Ensure students’ active involvement
➢Ensure students’ active involvement
A very crucial factor
for teacher to consider is to make use of students’ creativity and to ensure
their active involvement in the class. Generally, teachers should excite students’
curiosity about the tasks that runs throughout the sessions. Interesting visual
aids, posters, games, role-plays, board drawing, all are variables that can
actually be rich sources of discussion and humor in the classroom.
➢Praise and feedback
Beyond any doubt, praise and, in general, prompt and
positive feedback, are factors of
particular importance in the process of motivating students. Students can often
become ‘dismotivated’ when they have put a great deal of effort but finally do
not receive any corresponding reward. Teachers should always give some
indication to the students how well they have done and what they should do in
order to improve themselves.
In addition, praise is
usually a signal that students have succeeded and therefore increases their
motivation and competence. This is the most powerful motivator that advances
self-esteem. As Geoffrey Petty argues, ‘making a success is the engine that drives the learning
process.’ Once students feel that they have succeeded, they become further
motivated and enthusiastic about learning.
It can be argued that
in various cases praise and grades can also lead to negative results, such as
conformity, competition and other undesirable outcomes. However, the teacher
should avoid competition becoming severe, since this could also be an obstacle
within the classroom.
➢The organization of the instructional material
Furthermore,
‘motivation is enhanced by the way in
which the instructional material is organized. Useful material can be a
driving force to learning. This is the reason why making the information
meaningful to individual is an effective strategy for sustaining students’
motivation. A teacher should ensure that there are certain connections between
students’ interests and taught material.
Moreover, teachers
should ‘underline throughout the sessions the purpose of learning the taught
material. Besides this, the relevance of the material, its appropriate level
within the capacities of learners, as well as the variety of given information,
enriched with appropriate and understandable examples, are additional variables,
which contribute to the successful organization of the class.
➢ Setting Realistic goals
➢ Setting Realistic goals
A basic principle
which should direct teachers planning is setting general objectives that are
realistic and correspond to the level of the class. This can be only achieved,
if the teacher has the capacity to assess students’ readiness and progress.
Moreover, the level of difficulty should be ordinary so that it can increase
the probability of students’ success. Undoubtedly, all these are significant
aspects of effective planning that induce high levels of motivation.
➢Rapport
➢Rapport
However, above all the
previous strategies, the overwhelming factor within a learning environment,
which inevitably affects motivation, is the rapport; thus the relationship
between teachers and students. Having in mind the variability of individual
students as well as their needs, the teacher should focus on the rapport. As
Scrivener emphasizes, ’rapport is not a skill or a technique that you can
mimic. It is not something you do to other people. It is you and your
moment-by-moment relationship with other human beings. A great majority of
teachers believes that the most important condition for increasing students’
interest in the classroom is the effective relations with their students. Let
us consider Marslow’s hierarchy in which the need for friendship and
affiliation are of great importance. This is exactly the relationship that will
encourage or discourage students’
cooperation within the class.
➢Teacher’s personality:
Teacher’s enthusiasm about his subject
It is worth mentioning
that teacher’s enthusiasm about his subject acquires significant role in
motivating students within the classroom. On the one hand, if a teacher is
bored or apathetic, students will imitate his/her behavior. On the other hand,
a motivated and enthusiastic teacher, who works with his/her students and is
aware of individual feelings and thoughts within the class, will apparently
guarantee students motivation and success.
➢Teacher’s authenticity
A necessary
presupposition to teacher’s effectiveness is his authenticity, hence being himself with honesty and respect. Gaie
Houston (1990) has written that ‘the foundation of rapport is to learn yourself
[as a teacher] that you know what style you have and [if] you are truthful to
yourself. Beyond any doubt, the nature of teacher’s behavior seems to be
closely connected with students’ motivation patterns. Consequently, motivation
and rapport are two variables strongly connected under the umbrella of
effective teaching.
Clarification between intrinsic and extrinsic motivated
learners
A clarification should
be made between intrinsic and extrinsic motivated students. Allowing for
internal motivation, therefore self directed, it can be argued that ‘it lasts
longer than external motivation.’ Moreover, the former has to be ‘facilitated’;
however, the later must be repeatedly reinforced by the teacher, with praise or
concrete rewards. Consequently, ‘learning is more effective when an individual
is ready to learn, that is, when one wants to know something’. However, even if
a teacher is among highly motivated students, he should not rely on their good
will, yet he/she should continue to encourage their motivation.
It can be argued that
teacher has a significant role in advancing students’ motivation. This should
be classified among the basic priorities of classroom management since
motivation is the driving force that promotes learning process. This is the
reason why before entering the class, the teacher ought to have in mind, how to
create a learning environment in which motivation will be the dominant issue.
Conclusion
In our attempt to explore
motivational patterns in an educational organization, we have basically concentrated
our focus on teachers and students, the core of school environment. Bearing in
mind the previous analysis, it is essential to mention that motivation is a
crucial concern for school managers and teachers towards their ‘subordinates’.
Forced by individual needs, people are motivated and this is reflected through
their behavior. More specifically, in a school, teaching staff can be activated
by the motivational environment that managers have set. In the same way,
teachers can create the appropriate conditions, in which students’ motivation
will be increased. In concluding, an effective school, which will promote
individual progress, can be created only when people ‘do their best’, as a
consequence of their motivation.
Despina Grivaki
Director of Studies & School Owner
BA in English Culture and Language Studies
MA in Organisation Planning and Management In Education
References
Petty,G., 1998,Teaching
Today, 2nd edition, Cheltenham, Stanley Thornes Ltd.
Scrivener,J.,1994,
Learning Teaching, Oxford, Macmillan Heinemann Ltd.
Internet Resource:
http://www.hcc.hawii.edu//internet/committes/facDevcom/guidek/teachtip/motivate/htm.
