how learning works_chapter_3 by gordon eddie

How Learning Works

Chapter 3

What Factors Motivate Students to Learn?


• “Students’ motivation generates, directs, and sustains what they do to learn” (p.69).

– If students are not interested in the course content, they will zone out or see no value in understanding

– If students don’t think they will be successful, they probably wont do to a self-fulfilling prophecy


• Two important concepts that are critical in motivating a students ability to learn:

– Subjective value of their overall goal

– Expectations for obtaining a specific goal


• Goals

– Performance goals: protecting a desired image

• Performance-approach goal: focus on attaining competence by meeting standard

• Performance-avoidant goal: avoiding incompetence by meeting standards

– Learning goal: trying to learn what is taught

– Work-avoidant goal: showing little interest

– Affective goal: engaged in stimulating activity

– Social goal: making friends


• Values

– Attainment value

– Intrinsic value

– Instrumental value


• Expectancies

– Outcome expectancies

– Efficacy expectancies


• Strategies to Established Value– Connect the material to students’ interest– Provide authentic, real-world tasks– Show relevance to students current

academic lives– Demonstrate the relevance of higher level

skills to students’ future professional lives– Identify and reward what you value– Show your own passion and enthusiasm

for the discipline


• Strategies that help students build positive expectancies

– Provide flexibility and control– Identify an appropriate level of challenge– Describe effective study strategies– Provide early success opportunities– Provide rubrics– Be fair


• Summary

– There are many different variables that influence a students ability to be motivated

– If possible, try to have multiple and diverse goals that may not match with yours

how learning works_chapter_3 by gordon eddie

Education