Causes

What Undermines Intrinsic Motivation:

What Fosters Intrinsic Motivation:

• Intrinsic motivation is oftentimes undermined by tangible, extrinsic motivators. This can include:

  • • Class incentives like pizza parties or movie days. Rewards like these create short-term excitement and motivation, they shift focus away from the joy of learning/intrinsic motivation. 

    • Token economies, such as class coins that can earn you a prize. Students won't always get tokens for doing the bare minimum. While in the short-term these economies can be effective, eventually, when the tokens disappear, all motivation will disappear with them. 

    • Sometimes, verbal praise (see: the "Case by Case" category below). Verbal praise, depending on the age group and context of us, is often used as a manipulation tactic, and therefore makes approval seem conditional. For example, when you say, "Timmy, thank you for raising your hand," are you truly praising Timmy for following a basic class expectation, or are you  "manipulating" other students to also raise their hands? This isn't to say verbal praise doesn't have its place, particularly in classroom management, but it is something to think about. 

    • In an interview, author Alfie Kohn states the following about tangible, extrinsic motivators, "By virtue of being controlling they're likely to be aversive in the long run."' His argument suggests that when students feel controlled by rewards, they may initially feel excited or motivated, but are less likely to develop genuine, long-term interest or intrinsic motivation. 

• Intrinsic motivation is oftentimes undermined by expectations.

  • • Tangible reward systems, over time, will condition students to expect a reward for basic tasks. The interview with Alfie Kohn uses a great example of a child asking his mom, "What's my reward?" after simply setting the dining table. 

    • Expectations undermine intrinsic motivation because the task is done solely to earn an extrinsic motivator. Students expecting rewards makes all of their learning experiences transactional. 

• Alfie Kohn, despite some very strong opinions about motivation, does pose a great question: Which question would you rather have students ask in your classroom?

  • • "What do they want me to do, and what will I get for it?"

    • "Why might this be useful in the future? What makes this fun?

    • This makes you think: would I rather my students view learning as a means to an end, or as a process that is meaningful all on its own?

Brandt, R. (1995). Punished by rewards? A conversation with Alfie Kohn. Educational Leadership, 53(1), 13-16. Retrieved from http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/pbracwak.htm.

• Self determination theory tells us that growth depends on three basic psychological needs: A sense of autonomy, and sense of competence, and a sense of relatedness. These are all important to consider when looking at what successfully fosters intrinsic motivation. When we support these needs in our classroom, we are helping students develop their own intrinsic motivation. 

• Relatedness: Intrinsic motivation is fostered by tasks that are rooted in the student perspective. This means:

• • • Tasks relate to student individual characteristics, cultures, and interests. When students see themselves in the curriculum, it makes their work feel meaningful. 

    • This pertains to a sense of relatedness: Do students feel as though their individual interests are acknowledged and cared for? Do they feel connected to the work they're doing? If the answer is yes, your students are significantly more likely to experience intrinsic motivation. 

• Autonomy: Intrinsic motivation is fostered by tasks that provide students with choice.

  • • One task won't be perfectly suited to everyone's interests, and that's why choice is so important. For example, think about all of the options we had for Creative Project #1 in this course. For project-based assignments like these, we can allow students to express their knowledge through writing, speaking, making a short film, performing a skit, illustrating, and more. 

    • Students of any age can benefit from some form of choice. Whether it's between two options, or ten, intrinsic motivation is increased when students have a sense of autonomy and choice.

    • Autonomy does not mean every activity and question is open-ended. It simply means making your students feels heard and valued. 

• Competence: Intrinsic motivation is fostered by tasks that are optimally challenging.

  • • This is about finding a delicate balance. Students are very unlikely to be intrinsically motivated by work that feels too easy, as it may feel boring or unimportant. In the same way, when work feels too hard, many students are inclined to feel overwhelmed or frustrated, and stop trying. 

    • Try to find a balance, where students' work is just beyond what they already know. Mix the familiar with the unfamiliar, so students leave your classroom each day feeling like they've succeeded. 

Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71, 1-27.