a is for average dr helen street. extrinsic rewards stickers merit cards ice cream school prizes...

A is for Average

Dr Helen Street

EXTRINSIC REWARDS Stickers Merit Cards Ice cream School prizes Money… Approval…

INTRINSIC REWARDS Meaning Skill advancement Appropriate challenge Personal and

professional development

Self-enhancement FUN

The problem of this for that A focus on outcomes

leads to a loss of interest in process

An unhealthy need for others approval

Moments of elation amidst a life of discontentment (conditional goal setting)

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s

Primary school – Stickers, stars and merit cardsHigh School – Grades and awardsWorking life – Incentives and bonus schemes

“Promising a reward to someone who seems unmotivated – or demotivated – is like offering salt water to someone who is thirsty: it’s not the solution; it’s the problem”Alfie Kohn, 1999, The Schools Our Children Deserve

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s

Creates an outcome focus Loss of autonomy Loss of control Loss of choice Loss of attention on

process

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s A need for greater

and greater rewards – if it isn’t working – increase the dose

Stickers for everything

‘A’ becomes average

Crazy Stickers and Average ‘A’s

Reduced Intrinsic Motivation

More than 80 studies with young people have shown that providing incentives

takes attention away from learning, and results in a reduced enjoyment of an

activity

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Decreases sympathy and

empathy

If kids are rewarded for being nice to others – they learn to like them less…

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Is just like a punishment…

For every ‘winner’ there are far more losers

For every winner the pressure to win again increases

Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Links to depression vulnerability Fame, fortune and feeling down

Street, Nathan and Durkin 2002 (Young and Well) Goal choices and depression

But surely rewards work really well…? Rewards create

Compliance and control

Obedience A love of rewards

(as long as they increase in value)

Intrinsic motivation and beyond Life satisfaction Autonomy Positive social relationships A love of ongoing learning

Task persistence Better performance

Co-operation and compliance

Creating opportunity

We can not ‘make’ young people motivated

We can Support an optimum

learning environment Create opportunity for self-

determination

Positive relationships

A safe environment Collaboration Autonomy (choice) Task engagement

(interesting and relevant content)

The motivated classCreating an optimum learning environment

Creating positive relationships

Teacher Wellbeing Enhancing work experience Managing stress

Effective communication Taking an interest in

individuals Listening Being genuine Empathy and compassion

Developing a safe environment Emotional safety Connections with others Intimacy – opportunity to express true self

(Childhood wellbeing in the classroom, Street, H 2004 in ‘Checking The Pulse’ Smith and Riley (ed))

Encouraging Autonomy

Deprive children of self-determination and you deprive them of motivation

Engaging Students

Challenge and skills Clear, achievable goals Ongoing feedback Structure Meaning and value

A word about praise…To praise is "to commend the worth of or to express

approval or admiration" (Brophy, 1981)

Encouragement is to support autonomy and self-direction

CONTROL ENCOURAGEMENT

Look at how quietly Jack is sitting!

I can see that you have really expanded that idea in the essay

That’s fabulous. The green paint really makes the picture stand out

Edward Deci 2013 – personal communication

Ideals and realities An ideal for the future

NO MORE REWARDS, AWARDS, INCENTIVE PLANS OR GRADES

Celebrate community (not achievement) Provide ongoing feedback (not absolute

judgements) Support collaboration, autonomy and engagement Appreciate the positive Develop meaningful relationships CELEBRATE LEARNING

Ideals and realities A shift in the right direction

Autonomy (not control) Reduce complexity of rewards (A versus

incomplete – Kohn) Minimise use (Do we need to grade this?) Ensure that rewards and punishments are task

relevant (A chance to borrow a coveted book?) Focus on behaviour (for rewards as well as

punishments!!) No more‘stickers for being a great person…’

Interested in finding out more? Class on Fire workshop in November

enquiries@wisesolutions.com.au All notes, references and related articles can

be downloaded directly from

www.positiveschools.com.au If you want to ask me a question, invite me to

your school to talk or to help you make a positive change …

helen.street@uwa.edu.au

Motivated for life Truly successful

students

do not learn to love rewards

they ‘love to learn’ for life.