Motivational Patterns
-The Four Phases of Motivation
Motivation is an essential component of Interest Theory. Here, we will discuss the four-phase model of interest development and how growing interest can lead to increased motivation in students. Below you will find descriptions and examples of the four-phases of interest development.
Descriptions below are inspired by The Four-Phase Model of Interest Development by Suzanne Hidi and K. Ann Renninger.
Situational Interest
This type of interest comes as a reaction to environmental stimuli and may of may not last.
Individual Interest
Individual Interest is internalized and results in continued engagement with a subject.
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Triggered Situational Interest
A change of interest triggered by an external/environmental source. A secondary school student see a dinosaur exhibit during a field trip and be fascinated.
Maintained Situational Interest
A more intense interest that persists or reoccurs, following the triggering event. The student's parents check out a book on dinosaurs and he can now name most species.
Emerging Individual Interest
The beginning of a prolonged, self-motivated interest that is consistently engaged with. The student is now going out of their way to find media related to paleontology. They enjoy Jurassic Park despite its inaccuracies.
Well-Developed Individual Interest
An individual, reoccurring interest often bordering on obsession. The student graduates and decides to go to college to pursue a career in paleontology.
In general, students will learn better when they have some level of interest in the material. Fostering that interest should be a primary concern of teachers to improve retention and engagement. By teaching content worth teaching, explaining why this content should interest the students, and connecting this content with preexisting interests, educators can guide their students to developing long lasting, individual interests.
As defined by Influences on Classroom Interest by David A. Bergin, there are 8 factors influencing a person's progression through the 4 phases.
Belongingness: Human beings want to belong. Feeling like you're part of a collective effort can greatly increase interest and motivation.
Cultural Value: Usually, people are more interested in things that are culturally valued. The scale of this culture can be anywhere from a generation to a sports team.
Identity: As people get older, they begin to label themselves. If something doesn't fall within their schema, they are less likely to be interested in it. For example, someone who views themselves as an athlete will be less likely to show interest in literature.
Social Support: This refers to people showing interest in subjects in order to help and support their loved ones. A parent could read a book about ballet to show support for their child's interests.
Emotions: Emotion is one of the most influential factors in regards to developing interests. People often associate certain emotions with certain subjects based on personal experience. A child could give up on math and science after being insulted for their interests repeatedly.
Competence: People like to be good at things. Making sure students feel confident helps keep interest and prevents students from giving up. If people think they will be competent in a subject, they are more likely to be engaged.
Utility-Goal Relevance: Students are often more interested in a subject when it is relevant to their future and goals. If a task is perceived as useless, it is usually much harder to stay motivated to complete it.
Background Knowledge: People are generally much more interesting in subjects that they have preexisting knowledge in. This goes both ways. The more interested we are in a topic, the more we will aim to increase our knowledge in that area. On the other hand, the more we know about something the more interest we are in it.