Promoting Motivation and Learning

Abstract

Few words are bandied about in college teaching more frequently or glibly than motivation. Faculty members sometimes complain about the strength or direction of students' motivation: My students (or today's students) just aren't very motivated, or They only care about making money (or having a good time). Stu dents may mirror these attitudes when they complain about the impact of some teaching on their desire to learn: Prof. So-and-so's classes are so con fusing and boring they kill my motiva tion to study the material, or His ex ams are so tricky and unpredictable they make it very hard for me to keep trying to do my best. There is surely truth in each of these perspectives: Students do differ in the amount and kind of motivation they bring to classrooms, and teachers can enhance or reduce it. This article re views research on teaching and student motivation in the college classroom, es pecially recent studies of the effect of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motiva tion and of specific ways instructors can encourage intrinsic motivation.

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