Motivation is either an internal or external drive that helps individuals in achieving their goals. In a classroom setting, instructions should be designed with the help of motivation for the success of a student. Motivation can affect a student’s learning behavior in several ways. They include directing behavior towards specific goals which in the long run affects the choices students make. It also enhances the cognitive aspect of a learner. Since motivation affects how and what kind of information is processed, highly motivated learners will try to understand the concept instead of just going through the learning process. Motivation also determines the outcomes that arise from reinforcement and punishment. Example, students that are motivated for classroom achievement are reinforced by scoring a higher grade and feel punished if they score a lower grade. The sources of motivation can be intrinsic and extrinsic. There are various types of motivation theories that explain how motivation has been used in a schools setting. In this essay, cognitive dissonance, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and self-dependent theories are used to explain the roles of motivation with a relevant example in a secondary level school setting.
Cognitive dissonance theory explains the unresolved conflict in peoples’ mind between two beliefs, perceptions or thoughts that they hold concerning a given subject. Dissonance mostly occurs in situations where individuals have to choose between two beliefs or actions which are incompatible (Adiele & Abraham, 2013). Example, a person might buy an expensive car that is uncomfortable for long distance drives. The dissonance comes up where; the individual believes that they bought a good car and it should be comfortable even for long trips. Dissonance could be done away with by focusing on more positives that the car could offer such as safety, handling, appearance, or getting rid of the car, although this behavior can be harder to achieve than changing the beliefs (Wang, 2013). The tension level that comes as a result of this conflict will depend on the relation the issue has to an individual or how difficult it is for the individuals to justify their logical thinking.
Cognitive dissonance is a great motivator in education and when it is not used in a good way, it creates discomfort in individuals and for it to be resolved, there must be some outcomes (Uzonna, 2013). They include a change in an individual’s behavior by replacing the existing behavior with a new modeled behavior. Also, changing the conflicting thinking that is brought about by new information (Alias, Lashari, Akasah & Kesot, 2014). This will enhance the individual’s performance in various activities and the overall character. In a school setting, the cognitive dissonance may impact a student in various ways. For instance, whenever teachers want to change a student’s attitude, they should first identify the beliefs at the heart of that attitude.
In a situation where teachers have a clear picture of the beliefs that are causing the attitude in a student, they should induce cognitive dissonance by producing powerful arguments and information which will counter those beliefs (Chang, Solomon & Westerfield, 2016). For example, when dealing with misbehaving students, rather than straight-forwardly informing them of their misconduct, the teacher should talk to them about their behaviors’ negative implications on other students and why their behaviors are not morally acceptable.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs depicts that human beings have the most basic needs in life which should be satisfied before achieving anything else. The theory has been popularly used in business management. However, presently, it is being highly used to motivate students in a classroom. The theory consists of five levels which are divided into deficiency needs and growth needs (Chemolli & Gagné, 2014). Starting from the bottom of the hierarchy, the levels include; physiological needs, safety needs, need for belonging, self-esteem and lastly self-actualization.
Deficiency needs arise as a result of deprivation and they motivate individuals when they are not met. Besides, the motivation to fulfill this needs grow when they are denied. Example, when a person goes for long without food, the hungrier they will become. Also, individuals must satisfy the needs in the lower levels before they satisfy higher level growth needs. This hierarchy has implication in the education setting since students are unable to concentrate and learn if their basic needs are not met (Curby, Rimm-Kaufman & Abry, 2013). Teachers should be able to identify the needs that are not met. Understanding and implementing the hierarchy of needs is important for both the teacher and the learners.
The physiological needs which lie at the bottom of the pyramid are the most important needs and have both negative and positive impacts on a learner. These needs are basic and are closely related to a person’s survival and they include water, food, shelter, and clothing. Example, if learners go to school on an empty stomach, they will not be able to concentrate and this will affect their performance (Moorer, 2014). Teachers should ensure that their learners’ needs are met by providing adequate lighting, ventilation and meal programs. The second level entails the safety needs, in achieving students’ success, safety plays a big role. In a classroom setting, safety should not only be physical but also psychological and emotional. An example is an environment where a learner is free to share ideas, ask and answer questions without being intimidated by the teacher or students. In the third level, the learners need to feel love and a sense of belonging. In a group of students, every student should be able to feel that they are part of that group.
When the above needs are satisfied, the learner may move to the next level of needs which is self-actualization, whereby the student is ready to receive new ideas in order to acquire self-esteem through achievement and recognition. This makes the student feel confident and able to take any responsibility in the learning process (Roediger, 2013). At the last level which is self-actualization, the student looks for ways that can help them fulfill their learning potential and seek fulfillment. They will work hard to achieve higher learning goals such as getting grade ‘A’ in their assignments.
It is a theory that talks about the choices made by different people. It consists of two major types of motivation that are extrinsic and intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that happens internally and an individual is motivated from within (Taylor, et al., 2014). Example, when a person is reading a novel by their favorite author, a person will not need to be motivated to finish it instead they will just finish it because it is enjoyable. People experience intrinsic motivation when what they are doing is interesting, absorbing, and fulfilling.
Intrinsic motivation consists of three types; knowledge whereby learners have the urge to learn new things, accomplishment whereby learners feel motivated by their accomplishments, and stimulation which can be done by giving learners assignments and developing self-evaluations which aids in increasing learner engagement. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is behavior that is triggered by external rewards like fame, grades, money, and praise (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2014). It arises from outside unlike intrinsic which originates from inside an individual. Extrinsic rewards consist of several types such as completion contingent rewards which are given after completion of a task, unexpected rewards that are given unexpectedly, and performance-contingent rewards that are awarded depending on the performance. Teachers should create a reinforcement program in a teaching-learning environment; a teacher should ensure that there is a balanced reward system.
Self-determination may impact the learning of students in several ways. For instance, many students are involved in setting their own goals to achieve more (Van den Berghe, Vansteenkiste, Cardon, Kirk & Haerens, 2014). When students build in mind that the sole focus of learning is to get external rewards, they often perform poorly, have a low self-esteem since they perceive themselves as competent and are always anxious during tests. More so, in a classroom setting, teachers should nurture intrinsic motivation in their students (Sogunro, 2014). For example, teachers should create a student-centered learning environment where students learn on their own, making them to be intrinsically motivated. Also, the teachers should set high but realistic goals for the learners. The standards should be high to challenge the learners and motivate them to work hard towards achieving the goals.
In addition, when motivating a student extrinsically, teachers should know what the students like and award them. Such rewards may include laptops or trips. This will motivate the students to work and reach the targets set in order to be rewarded (Taormina & Gao, 2013). Teachers should not only use tangible rewards. Instead, when a student gets an answer right they should comment with motivating words like “excellent” and “good trial” and this raises the learners’ self-esteem.
Conclusion
Having looked at cognitive dissonance, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and self-determination theories, each theory plays an important role in motivating learners in a school setting. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, physiological needs are the basic needs which should be satisfied first before proceeding to other needs. Safety needs help individuals to feel safe in doing things, social needs encourage people to interact and communicate freely with others, and the self-actualization makes individuals be satisfied for what they have achieved. In cognitive dissonance theory, individuals should aim for consistency between their attitudes and the way they behave. For people to achieve what they desire in a good way, they should first assonance their actions. The last theory is the self-determination theory which consists of two main types of motivation. They comprise of intrinsic motivation where an individual’s motivation comes from within and extrinsic motivation is affected by external factors. The theory further explains that the two types of reinforcement should be balanced for better results to be achieved.
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