Motivating Students Essay -- essays papers

Motivating Students The purpose of this research paper is to present research findings that show motivational teaching strategies to encourage the academic performance and achievement of students. Motivation is the drive on one’s thoughts and actions. Motivation is key to arouse the brain and to activate your senses. Motivation to learn is defined as, â€Å"The meaningfulness, value, and benefits of academic tasks to the learner.† (Lumsden, 1994). Students use motivation in the classroom to stimulate their learning capabilities. â€Å" Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need-or expect-their instructors to inspire, challenge, and stimulate them.† (Gross Davis 1993). To properly motivate one must understand a student’s behaviors. Behaviors that include the logical and illogical, the rational and irrational (Ames, 1984). Types of Motivation There are two different types of motivation in human behavior. The first is intrinsic. In this type of motivation a person does things because he or she wants to do them. â€Å"A student who is intrinsically motivated undertakes an activity ‘for its own sake, for the enjoyment it provides, the learning it permits, or the feelings of accomplishment it evokes† (Lumsden 1994). To make a student intrinsically motivated you must make the class relevant to them (Coolidge 1996). When a student realizes the benefits they will have in their lives by doing well in the class, they will be more eager to learn. The second type of motivation is extrinsic. This type of motivation is based on outside things. When a person does something in order to get something physical it is an extrinsic motivator. â€Å"An extrinsically motivated student performs ‘in order to obtain s... ...phies to motivate students. Seifert, K. (1999). Constructing a Psychology of Teaching & Learning. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. This book explores how to reinforce motivation. Motivation that brings about success and failure. How to manage misbehavior. Tauber, R. (1998). Good or Bad, What Teachers Expect from Students They Generally Get. Retrieved November 16, 2003 from ERIC database. This article explains how not to let a child’s past or history affect your judgment of them, and how to teach equally to those who misbehave. Twenty Tips on Motivating Students. University of Nebraska Lincoln. Retrieved November 16, 2003 from http://www.unl.edu/gradstud/GSAP/motivstdnts.html Gives many tips for being an effective motivator. Wolk, R. (2003). Worlds Apart. Teacher Magazine, 14(5), pp.5. Retrieved September 24, 2003 from EBSCO database.