Motivation and Learning

Motivation is one of the keystones to successful learning. As teachers it is one of the most important considerations when planning instruction for their audience.  The question arises as to what motivation is and how can we as educators maximize it? Is the motivation of all audiences the same or are there significant differences between the motivation of children and adults as learners?

Have you ever struggled with your motivation? Faced with a long list of tasks to complete and no end in site, the light at the end of the tunnel is a mere point of light which does not seem to be getting larger. Wlodkowski (2004) refers to the word motivation “to describe those processes that can energize behavior and give direction or purpose to behavior” (p. 93). It is harnessing this energy and aligning the purpose of the behaviour of the learner with those of the instructor that will help in maximizing motivation. Recognizing the role that motivation has for educators is one of the keys to it's success.

Dan Pink recently wrote a book called "Drive." Pink highlights what he feels are the keys to motivating people within the workplace. Currently there is a belief in the field of business that if you want to motivate your workers you need to provide a large enough carrot. He tells us that carrots or incentives act to only motivate individuals that are performing the most basic and rudimentary of tasks. So how does one motivate individuals that have a much more complex task. To the surprise of most people it is not providing a larger incentive.

Pink outlines the role that autonomy, mastery and purpose play in the motivation of individuals to perform. Autonomy is providing the opportunity for individuals to be self-directed. Give the learner the opportunity to do something that they would like to do in relation to their job or topic and people will work harder.

In addition to autonomy is the concept of mastery. Learners will be motivated to complete tasks that they feel that they would have the ability to master. Mastery is the reason why people play video games, train to run a marathon, or practice a musical instrument on the weekend even when their is no economic benefit. This is also echoed by Wlodkowski (2004) “It is critical for adults to feel willing to learn what they expect they can successfully master.” (p. 93). Individuals feel that with the appropriate amount of effort they will be able to complete the task and the completion of it is extremely satisfying. Finally, the idea that the work that is being completed must in some way offer a sense of purpose. A learner may ask themselves in completing this task am I making a greater contribution to humanity as a whole. It is through the three concepts of autonomy, mastery and purpose that motivation is harnessed by leaders and teachers alike.  

It is important to recognize that it is not necessary for you to have all three concepts working together to achieve motivation. Motivation is a complex process that could simply include one of three; autonomy, mastery and purpose or any combination of the three. It is however very compelling to be aware of the role that these concepts play in the motivation of individuals. The question then arises, is there a difference between the motivation of adults verses children when they are learning?

Because of the complexity of the idea of motivation I would have to say that it is difficult to conclusively iidentify a difference between the motivations of adults and children as learners. On the one hand Wlodkowski (2004) states that “[r]esearch consistently shows that adults are highly pragmatic learners. They have a strong need to apply what they have learned and to be competent in that application”(p. 92). On the other hand I can not see any reason why children would not be pragmatic in their learning. It is the teacher that is able to show that the material that the child learner is being exposed to relates directly to their experience that will be the most successful.

Wlodkowski (2004) also highlights six factors to consider in the motivation of learners and their role in creating a motivating lesson:

1. attitude - maintaining or creating a positive attitude about the learning
2. need - fulfilling a need through learning
3. stimulation - keep the learner engaged
4. affect - connecting to emotions when learning
5. competence - mastery of tasks is intrinsically satisfying
6. reinforcement - positively reinforce behaviors of learners, grades, attention etc. . . (p. 95-97)

These factors are clearly ones that would affect both the child and adult learner. However it is important to consider the responsibilities of the adult learner when compared to the child learner; “unlike children for whom school may be their first priority, adults have other serious responsibilities and learning may be one more demand added on to an already stressful lifestyle” (Wlodkowski, 2004, p. 96). It may be more difficult to create a positive attitude on a topic, uncover the specific need for the new material, stimulate them during a lesson and create a positive affect in relation to the material as a result of their brain being tied up in the everyday grind of the adult world. 

Motivation is a complex idea that has a tremendous impact on the success of learners acquiring information. Having a clearer understanding of motivation and the ways to increase it will not only improve the impact of teachers but the success of learners as a whole.

References

Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. In S. B. Merriam (Ed.), The New Update on Adult Learning Theory (Vol. 89, pp. 3-13). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Pink, D. [Video File]. RSA animate-Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Cognitive media. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

Wlodkowski, R. J. (2004). Strategies to enhance adult motivation to learn. In M. W. Galbraith (Ed.), Adult Learning Methods: A Guide for Effective Instruction (3rd ed., pp. 91-112). Florida. USA: Krieger Publishing.