Post 4 - Motivation

            Motivation has always been something I was concerned about.  Since I am in Secondary Ed and hope to work with high school students, I fell like students would be more difficult to motivate if they are not already intrinsically motivated.  They may not be motivated by extrinsic rewards in the way that things like candy or stickers motivate elementary students.  Maybe good grades could be one motivator, but that may only apply to students interested in continuing their education after they leave high school.  I worry that I will have those students who think that they have other plans for their future and are not able to see the importance of their education, and I will be stuck on how to handle those situations.  I want all students to want to learn, even if it’s not my topic.  They could always grow in topics they enjoy. 

A theory of motivation that will probably be useful for my future classes is Expectancy x Value Theory.  When we broke into groups in class last week while discussing theories, my Secondary Ed group was in agreement that one important motivator for high school students is to help them see how their knowledge gained and behaviors learned in high school affect their futures in college, career, etc.  This also goes along with Self-Determination.  If students can be taught to believe in themselves and their abilities, then they can set high expectations for themselves on future tasks.  However, they also need to be taught to see the value in tasks they are given.  The tasks students accomplish should not only teach them important facts but should also provide them with the skills they need for things to come.  As a future History teacher, I want my students to know about important historical information as well as obtain the ability to see how information they learn is applicable or important to their futures.