Motivation

What is motivation?

Definition: a state that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior; it gets people moving, points them in a particular direction, and keeps them going (McDevitt). 

Motivation can give a person the willingness to practice or attempt tasks, and certainly affects the quality of their performance.  “In most important areas of life, the quality of performance represents an amalgam of abilities, motivation, and personality.  Other important human characteristics probably require particular combinations of these three broad features of the mind, plus developed skills and information acquired through others in society. (Ruf)”

Intrinsic Motivation or Internal Drive

          Basic factors that are the foundation for intrinsic motivation:

·        Inquisitiveness: Children want to explore and understand the world

·        High self-efficacy: Children choose activities that they think they will be successful at

·        Autonomy: Children prefer activities in which they have some choice and control

·        Long-term interests: As children grow older, their interests stabilize

·        Priorities: Children and adolescents increasingly pursue activities that will benefit them in some way (young children choose interesting activities; older students choose activities that will help them reach their goals)

·        Effective learning strategies: Children internalize the motivation to engage in certain activities; Intrinsic motivation for academics declines throughout the school years (between grades 3 and 9 it returns to extrinsic motivation)

What can parents do to help?

          People learn more effectively when they are intrinsically motivated.  So, if your child has lost their motivation, here are some suggestions, compiled from multiple resources.

·        Pique interest and curiosity at home: puzzles, phenomena, fantasy, adventure, suspense, etc.

·        Involve your child in learning activities at home that match his interests and make learning fun.

·        Identify her areas of success and interest and encourage them

·        Connect to the community to find more learning opportunities that match his interest areas

·        Enhance your child’s self-efficacy for mastering important knowledge and skills

·        Give encouraging messages about the causes of successes and failures

·        Make time trades: time spent on homework, chores, etc. is then traded for equal time spent doing a choice activity from a list that you make together

·        Encourage goal setting: learning goals and performance goals

·        Allow your child to personalize her workspace

·        Downplay the seriousness of failures

·        When you observe motivation at work, reward it with a surprise sometimes (but not always)

·        Introduce your child to role models with similar interests

References

McDevitt, Teresa and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod. Child Development and

Education. 2007, Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Ruf, Deborah. Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind. 2005,

Great Potential Press. Scottsdale, AZ.

Stevens, Kathy. “Lighting a Fire: Motivating Boys to Succeed.” OAGC

Review, Spring 2009. Ohio Association for Gifted Children.

Gahanna, OH.