PROBLEM 1: MOTIVATION
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
BEHAVIORAL APPROACHE S TO MOTIVATION
According to the behavioral view, an understanding of students motivation begins with a careful analysis of
the incentives (an object or event that encourages or discourages behavior) and rewards (attractive object or
event supplied as a consequences of a particular behavior) present in the classroom.
HUMANISTIC APPROACHE S
Humanistic interpretations of motivation emphasize such intrinsic sources of motivation as a person’s needs
for self-actualization. In other words from the humanistic perspective, to motivate means to encourage
people’s inner resources (sense of competence, self-esteem, autonomy, and self-actualization.
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
The most influential theory of this approach is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People are motivated to satisfy
their needs. Some basic needs that we all must satisfy are those for food, shelter, love, and maintenance of
positive self-esteem. People differ in the degree of importance they attach to each of these needs. In Maslow’s
theory, needs that ae lower in his hierarchy must be at least partially satisfied before a person will try to satisfy
higher level needs. He makes a distinction between deficiency needs (physiological, safety, love and esteem)
and growth needs (need to know and understand things, appreciate beauty, or grow and develop in
appreciation of others). Deficiency needs are those that are critical to physical and psychological well-being
and they must be satisfied. However, once they are satisfied, a person’s motivation to satisfy them diminishes.
In contrast, growth needs can never be satisfied completely. Self-actualization is defined as the desire to
become everything that one is capable of becoming. It is characterized by psychological well-being. Maslow
places striving for self-actualization at the top of his hierarchy of needs, implying that achievements of this
most important need depends on the satisfaction of all other needs.
The importance of Maslow’s theory for education is in the relationship between deficiency needs and growth
needs. Students who are very hungry or in physical danger will have little psychological energy to put into
learning. Thus, if student’s basic needs are not met, learning will suffer. The most important deficiency needs
are those for love and self-esteem A student who is unsure of his or her lovableness or capabilities will go with
the crowed, study for the test without interest, etc. A teacher who can put students at ease and male them
feel accepted and respected as individuals is more likely (in Maslow’s view) to help them become eager to
learn for the sake of learning and willing to risk being creative and open to new ideas. Attribution theory deals
primarily with 4 explanations for success and failure in achievement situations: ability (internal), effort
(internal), task difficulty (external) and luck (external).
SELF DETERMINATION
Self-determination theory suggest that we all need to feel competent and capable in our interactions in the
words, to have some choices and a sense of control over our lives, and to be connected to others. In other
words we need competence (achievement), autonomy (power), and relatedness (affiliation). Need for
autonomy is central to self-determination because it is the desire to have our own wished, rather than
external rewards or pressures, to determine our actions. Classroom environments that support student self-
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
BEHAVIORAL APPROACHE S TO MOTIVATION
According to the behavioral view, an understanding of students motivation begins with a careful analysis of
the incentives (an object or event that encourages or discourages behavior) and rewards (attractive object or
event supplied as a consequences of a particular behavior) present in the classroom.
HUMANISTIC APPROACHE S
Humanistic interpretations of motivation emphasize such intrinsic sources of motivation as a person’s needs
for self-actualization. In other words from the humanistic perspective, to motivate means to encourage
people’s inner resources (sense of competence, self-esteem, autonomy, and self-actualization.
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
The most influential theory of this approach is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People are motivated to satisfy
their needs. Some basic needs that we all must satisfy are those for food, shelter, love, and maintenance of
positive self-esteem. People differ in the degree of importance they attach to each of these needs. In Maslow’s
theory, needs that ae lower in his hierarchy must be at least partially satisfied before a person will try to satisfy
higher level needs. He makes a distinction between deficiency needs (physiological, safety, love and esteem)
and growth needs (need to know and understand things, appreciate beauty, or grow and develop in
appreciation of others). Deficiency needs are those that are critical to physical and psychological well-being
and they must be satisfied. However, once they are satisfied, a person’s motivation to satisfy them diminishes.
In contrast, growth needs can never be satisfied completely. Self-actualization is defined as the desire to
become everything that one is capable of becoming. It is characterized by psychological well-being. Maslow
places striving for self-actualization at the top of his hierarchy of needs, implying that achievements of this
most important need depends on the satisfaction of all other needs.
The importance of Maslow’s theory for education is in the relationship between deficiency needs and growth
needs. Students who are very hungry or in physical danger will have little psychological energy to put into
learning. Thus, if student’s basic needs are not met, learning will suffer. The most important deficiency needs
are those for love and self-esteem A student who is unsure of his or her lovableness or capabilities will go with
the crowed, study for the test without interest, etc. A teacher who can put students at ease and male them
feel accepted and respected as individuals is more likely (in Maslow’s view) to help them become eager to
learn for the sake of learning and willing to risk being creative and open to new ideas. Attribution theory deals
primarily with 4 explanations for success and failure in achievement situations: ability (internal), effort
(internal), task difficulty (external) and luck (external).
SELF DETERMINATION
Self-determination theory suggest that we all need to feel competent and capable in our interactions in the
words, to have some choices and a sense of control over our lives, and to be connected to others. In other
words we need competence (achievement), autonomy (power), and relatedness (affiliation). Need for
autonomy is central to self-determination because it is the desire to have our own wished, rather than
external rewards or pressures, to determine our actions. Classroom environments that support student self-
