Motivating Students Essay

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Motivating Students Motivation can be defined as an internal state that drives behaviour in a certain direction and serves to maintain such behaviour. Teachers play a significant role in affecting the motivational level of students. Although students may come to class with some degree of motivation, a teacher’s behaviour(s) and/or teaching style(s) can have a major effect on students’ level of motivation. As such, teachers must be aware of what factors serve to motivate their students. There are two basic classifications of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within the student, and occurs where students wish to learn a new topic just for its inherent value or for the self-fulfillment or enjoyment he or she gets from learning the topic. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from outside of one’s self. It is motivation to perform or succeed in order to achieve some specific reward or avoid some form of punishment. All students have a fundamental need to feel connected to other people. In the classroom setting, research has shown that students who feel a sense of belonging, experience a higher level of intrinsic motivation and confidence in themselves. This sense of belonging is fostered by teachers who demonstrate warmth, encourage student participation, are enthusiastic and friendly and are always organized and prepared for class. (Freeman, Anderman and Jenson, 2007) (Anderman and Leake, 2005). Teachers should plan lessons that group students in the classroom to build an environment of acceptance and appreciation for students (Slavin, 2000). Not only do such groups provide the necessary social interaction for students, but they also provide great cooperative learning opportunities for students. Students are motivated to learn in such settings, because group work enhances students’ thinking and
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