Motivation Module 2:
What should Instructors Know
about Motivation?
Background Information
The motivation of teachers and students is interconnected. Teachers who are driven to teach can inspire and enhance their students' motivation to learn. The influence of teachers on their students can be either positive or negative, and motivated teachers are more likely to have a positive impact. Dar (2002) quoted Guilford and Skinner as follows:
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J.P. Guilford: “Motivation is any internal factor or conditions that needs to initiate or sustain an activity.”
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B.F. Skinner: “Motivation in school learning involves arousing, persisting, sustaining and directing desirable behavior of the students.”
Three major components of motivation are:
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Activation: the decision to initiate a behavior
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Persistence: a continued effort in working toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. (This is referred to by Angela Duckworth (2016) as grit.)
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Intensity: pursuit of a goal observed through the level of intensity an focus applied toward achieving it.
The level of each motivation component can significantly influence the attainment of one's goals. For instance, high activation increases the likelihood of initiating goal pursuit. Persistence and intensity, on the other hand, dictate the extent of effort invested in working towards the goal and the ability to sustain it.
Activities
Role Play Components of Motivation
Engage students in role-play that represents the components of motivation (activation, persistence, and intensity) listed previously under Background Information. Role play can be a fun activity as well as a key component in children's learning that develops speaking and listening skills, as well as giving children the opportunity to reflect on and develop their knowledge of a topic while enhancing creativity and imagination skills.
Additional Role Play Activities
Additional role play activities may include the following
Activity Description
Do not criticize yourself Learn from mistakes and forgive yourself
List ten things that you like about yourself This will help improve self- perception
Do the things that interest you This will prevent boredom
Do something that you always wanted to do This will prevent disengagement
Write down all your traits, good and bad Writing them down will help recognition