Assignment: Students have a tendency to perform better and find learning more enjoyable when their
motivation comes from within themselves rather than external factors
Dasha Bunks
Liberty University
PSYC 775 - Teaching of Psychology
Dr. Winn
2022
Explanation
Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for its own sake. To be intrinsically motivated
means to feel both competent and autonomous (e.g., “I can do it for myself”). Students who are
intrinsically motivated work on tasks because they find them enjoyable. In other words, participation is
its own reward and is not contingent on tangible rewards such as praise, grades, or other external
factors. In contrast, students who are extrinsically motivated engage in learning tasks as a means to an
end, such as to get a good grade, to get praise from their parents, or to avoid punishment. It is not the
case that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are at opposite ends of a motivation continuum, such that
having more of one means having less of the other. Instead, students engage in academic tasks for both
intrinsic and extrinsic reasons (e.g., because they enjoy it and to get a good grade). Nonetheless,
intrinsically motivated task engagement is not only more enjoyable, it is positively related to more
enduring learning, achievement, and perceived competence and is negatively related to anxiety.
These benefits occur because students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to approach
their tasks in ways that enhance learning, such as attending more closely to instruction, organizing new
information effectively, and relating it to what they already know. They also feel more self-efficacious
and are not burdened by achievement anxiety. On the other hand, students who are more extrinsically
motivated may be so focused on the reward (e.g., getting a high grade) that learning is superficial (e.g.,
the student may resort to shortcuts such as skimming the reading for specific terms rather than
absorbing the entire lesson), or they may become discouraged if the pressures are too high.
Furthermore, externally motivated students may disengage once the external rewards are no longer
provided, whereas intrinsically motivated students show more long-lived mastery of learning goals.
Notably, however, a substantial body of experimental research studies shows that extrinsic
motivation, when properly used, is very important to producing positive educational outcomes.
Research also shows that students develop academic competence when they do tasks repeatedly in
carefully constructed ways so that the basic skills become automatic. As more basic skills become
automatic, the tasks require less effort and are more enjoyable. Just as in sports, students improve their
reading, writing, and mathematics skills when they do these activities repeatedly with teacher guidance
and feedback, gradually progressing from less complex tasks to more difficult ones.
Students’ engagement in these activities often requires teacher encouragement and praise for
making progress. As students develop increasing competence, the knowledge and skills that have been
developed provide a foundation to support the more complex tasks, which become less effortful and
more enjoyable. When students have reached this point, learning often becomes its own intrinsic
reward.
Relevance for Teachers
Promoting intrinsic motivation requires the incorporation of practices and activities that support
students’ fundamental need to feel competent and autonomous:
When using grades, teachers might want to highlight their informational (feedback) rather than
controlling (rewarding/punishing) function.
• A useful strategy when using any external constraints such as deadlines is to think about
whether the constraints will be perceived by students as too controlling. Much of the perception
of control can be managed by the way in which a task is communicated to students. Autonomy
needs are more likely to be satisfied when students have choices. Allowing students to select from
an array of achievement activities and to have a role in establishing rules and procedures helps
foster perceptions of autonomy. This approach can also help students learn the value of choosing
tasks that are of intermediate difficulty for them. Tasks are optimally challenging when they are
neither too easy nor too hard.
• Because intrinsic motivation involves enjoying a task for its own sake, teachers might want to
incorporate the ideas presented for Principle 8 on creativity so as to introduce novelty by
providing some level of surprise or incongruity and allowing for creative problem solving.
Supporting students’ intrinsic motivation to achieve does not mean that teachers should
completely eliminate the use of rewards. Certain tasks in the classroom and in life, like practicing new
skills, are going to be inherently uninteresting to students. It is important to teach students that some
tasks, even tasks that are necessary to master, might be uninteresting at first yet require consistent,
sometimes tedious, engagement for learning. Once learned, new skills may become their own reward.
Psychologists have identified two distinct forms of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic
motivation refers to an inherent interest in pursuing a topic (“learning for learning’s sake”). These
individuals find a subject enjoyable and they naturally desire to learn mastery of it. Extrinsic
motivation, on the other hand, refers to a desire to pursue a subject for reasons outside of the
individual, such as rewards, grades, parental or instructor approval, etc. These individuals are motivated
to learn a subject not because they want to learn it, but because learning the material will get them
good grades, parental praise, or because jobs in that field pay well; all of which are external rewards.
As an instructor, there are multiple ways for you to foster intrinsic motivation in your students. Some of
these include:
1. Create a student-centered classroom. When students are involved in their own learning, they
are more intrinsically motivated. Allow students to have a say in the course where possible and
try to incorporate an active learning activity every 15-20 minutes.
2. Promote a mastery goal, rather than a performance goal. If students are motivated to gain
mastery, rather than simply aiming for a performance goal, they are more likely to invest more
effort into their own learning. Therefore, try to foster in students a goal of becoming fluent in
Spanish, rather than having them focus on getting an A in the class. In addition, de-emphasize
grades and emphasize the intrinsic rewards of learning.
3. Encourage students’ actions, not their character or person. By using statements of
encouragement like, “your answers showed thought” as opposed to “you are a good thinker,”
students are more likely to remain intrinsically motivated (Ginott, 1972). Focus on their effort,
not their innate ability. With that, avoid using statements that suggest that innate ability is all
that is required to complete a project. Direct students’ attention to the process of completing
the project and the effort involved, rather than on the end product.
4. Provide learning goals. Research has shown that when teachers give learners a goal, students
experience a boost in self-efficacy (Bandura, 1988; Elliot & Dweck, 1988; Schunk, 1991). By
providing clear learning goals at the beginning of class or before an activity, students may be
more intrinsically motivated to work toward those goals.
5. Have high, but realistic expectations for students. Davis (2009) noted that instructors’
expectations can have a powerful effect on students’ performance. She notes that standards
should be set high enough to challenge students and motivate them to do their best without
being so high that students feel they are unattainable. If students believe achievement is within
their grasp, they will work toward that goal.
Parents and teachers have long depended on reward motivations to improve student
performance. You may have offered your child a certain amount of money for every good grade they
earn or promised a new video game for an improved report card. Similarly, teachers also reward their
students by giving them a day free from homework or other incentives for increased performance on
tests or better classroom behavior. While these rewards are effective in the short term, their benefits
tend to fade quickly. That’s why emphasizing intrinsic motivation, rather than extrinsic rewards, can be
more helpful. It is harder to cultivate such motivation, but it can lead to more effective learning.
Intrinsic motivation produces students with a real interest in the subject matter who learn for
learning’s sake. They enjoy exploring the material and mastering it. They don’t look at learning as a way
to get things. Instead, they get emotional and intellectual satisfaction from learning math concepts or
classic literature. Intrinsic motivation has lasting effects, often driving people to be lifelong learners and
even leading them to careers they will enjoy in the future.
Intrinsic motivation requires time to build, so it can be difficult in a world that demands instant
results. You have to work hard as your child grows to foster this type of learning. Plus, some students
simply do not respond to this method. In certain instances, extrinsic motivation may work better for an
individual student’s learning style. Parents and teachers can help build intrinsic motivation by focusing
on choice whenever possible. Many college students thrive in part because they can choose a number of
learning paths.
It’s important to build your child’s self-esteem so that they dare to learn, but provide honest
feedback as well. Students need to hear about their strengths and their weaknesses. Learning without
constructive criticism is not effective. Technology also helps build intrinsic motivation. Advanced
software programs and online searches make it easier to explore concepts in-depth. And students can
instantly receive the information needed to continue their projects. Extrinsic motivation for learning
doesn’t have to be abandoned completely. It works in some situations and for some students. But
deeper, more satisfying learning takes place when the student also has intrinsic motivation. Students
learn better when learning is the point and not the path to a video game or even good grades.
References
Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2014). Classroom motivation (2nd ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson. Brophy, J. (2004). Motivating students to learn. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Brophy, J., Wiseman, D.
G., & Hunt, G. H. (2008). Best practice in motivation and management in the classroom (2nd ed.).
Springfield, IL:
Charles C Thomas. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human
behavior. New York, NY: Plenum.
