Understanding the Facets of Motivation

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Table of Contents

Summary
Analysis
Conclusion
Works Cited

Summary

This article documents a research project involving academic motivation. It includes three projects: Greek, Canadian and US. It seeks to validate the Academic Motivation Scale with Greek high school students and others. It is based upon the theory of self-determination and proposes a scale with seven factors. The primary audience is other educational researchers in motivation since this changes the entire paradigm.

Self-determination theory provides an integrated conception of school- and academic motivation. The theory proposes a continuum comprising three types of motivation: intrinsic motivation (IM), extrinsic motivation (EM), and amotivation (AM), characterized by seven dimensions (IM = to know, to accomplish and to experience stimulation, EM = external regulation, introjection and identification, and Amotivation).

Deci and Ryan’s (1985) self-determination theory identifies the important facets of motivated behavior in humans. There are some other definitions of self-determination, but they are all similar. (Darner 39-49; Kennedy, Lewin and Syracuse University, Center on, Human Policy )

The article documents successfully that these seven factors are interactive and they affect each other and the overall motivation of the students. The descriptions of each type of motivation are extremely useful. What the study added to current literature is the description of Amotivation, which identifies factors that interact with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and which can be counteracted. The article described several studies and identified problems with subcategories of motivations in some populations. The tridimensional character of the theory is possibly very useful.

Analysis

Strengths and Weaknesses

This article was fascinating and so complex that criticizing it is difficult. However, I may criticize it on that basis. The theoretical basis of this study was very complex and may need more explanation. The theoretical basis for the theory of self-determination was well explained and the factors identified and defined. The actual research seems to be in compliance with standard practices. However, it seems that more demographic information about the participants would have been helpful in identifying factors affecting deviation from the norms. This is especially true of the English studies done in Canada and America as there was unexplained variance among female student results.

Key Elements

The key elements of this article are the explanations of the underlying theories, which I found valuable, the description of the studies (three of them) and their implications. The design and methodology were included, plus the outcomes, analysis and discussions of the results. These are complex and need a lot of study in order to understand their full import.

In addition, the studies and their results are thoroughly discussed, including the problems with subtopics and suggestions for further study and modifications to make studies better are included.

I believe the study is very valuable because it adds a new dimension to the understanding of motivation and provides a scale for further study of how motivation might be changed by teachers. This is especially important when we consider the value of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation in the success of students in any field.

Reflection

For my research on how a teacher might change the motivation of students from extrinsic to intrinsic this is very valuable because the factors identified as amotivation can be counteracted. They all have to do with the students’ perception of possibility and difficulty, but not value. Previously I have concentrated upon modifying the students’ perceptions of the value of the goals, and that was somewhat helpful, but the factors for motivation have to do with changing the perception of the attainability of the goal, not its value. That might be done with a plan for gradually increasing success. This also points out the value of allowing students to retake examinations in order to raise their grades. I shall personally add this in my classroom and advocate for it school-wide and district-wide.

This theory will be important I am sure in my teaching. However, I do not understand it well enough to say completely how. I need to study it and think about it. The Idea of amotivation being based on the belief in the attainability of a skill or a goal seems very biblical in concept because it is our belief or faith in God that determines our ability to be useful. We are taught that we need to leave it in God’s hands but to continue to strive for our goals with the knowledge that if it is His wish we will succeed, but not if we do not try. It reminds me of jokes I have heard which all center upon recognizing God-given help instead of waiting for things to simply drop out of thin air. I remember one in particular where a drowning man prayed to be saved and then turned down a ride in a boat, help from a horse and airlift to a helicopter and drowned.

Christianity gives us the ability to create or “ask for and receive” positive motivation to counteract amotivational factors. We have to ask for help in increasing our belief in order to become self-determined within our society. So in teaching, maybe I have to help students learn to recognize that they can succeed and to recognize the boat, the horse and the helicopter as sent from God.

Conclusion

In my classroom, this has a double-layered effect. I have to have that positive view myself and know that this is possible. If I do not believe that I can alter the effects of amotivational factors that amount to an amotivational factor for me to accomplish this goal, so in this case, the teacher is admonished to teach him or herself first.

I will follow up this study with some research into how I can counteract the amotivational factors. I mentioned one earlier that I thought up, but I am certain there are others. Essentially, this amounts to increasing the self-confidence of students and finding a way to prove to them the attainability of goals. Perhaps some parallels could be made between the areas where amotivation is high and areas where it is low. That is connecting the areas where the students feel confident to those where they feel weak.

Works Cited

Barkoukis, Vassilis, et al. “The Assessment of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation and Amotivation: Validity and Reliability of the Greek Version of the Academic Motivation Scale.” Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice 15.1 (2008): 39-55. Print.

Darner, Rebekka. “Self-Determination Theory as a Guide to Fostering Environmental Motivation.” Journal of Environmental Education 40.2 (2009): 39-49. Print.

Deci, E., and R. Ryan. 1985. Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.

Kennedy, Michael, Lori Lewin, and Syracuse University, Center on, Human Policy. Fact Sheet: Summary of Self-Determination. NRC Fact Sheet. Center on Human Policy, 2010. Print.

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