Motivation

Motivation is the force behind behavior and provides an explanation for why people do things. Motivation influences what people do—meaning their choice of actions, as well as how they act; the intensity, persistence, and quality of their actions. Motivational theories help to explain people's achievements as well as their failure to achieve. They provide a way of understanding accomplishments and success, especially in the face of challenge and adversity. They also help to explain unexpected outcomes such as the lackluster performance of talented individuals or the triumph of an underdog who exceeds all expectations.

[Page 331]Motivation is especially prized in learning situations, whether the instruction takes place in a fourth grade classroom or on a soccer field. Without putting forth effort and actively engaging in the activity, even the most capable individuals will not benefit from the opportunity to learn. Motivation for learning is a particular kind of motivation that is concerned with the goals, activities, and behaviors involved in acquiring skills, knowledge, or competence (Brophy, 2004; Stipek, 2002). When students are motivated to learn, they put forth effort, they are engaged, they show greater persistence in the face of failure, and they take risks (attempting challenging tasks). As a result, they learn more, have deeper understandings of ideas, perform at higher levels of achievement, and are more likely to stay in school. Students who are motivated to learn also report greater satisfaction and enjoyment of learning, higher self-worth, and a greater sense of well-being.

An individual's motivation can vary depending on a number of factors including personal characteristics—age, ability, experience, values, and beliefs—and contextual characteristics—subject matter (gym versus math), task difficulty, task features (worksheet versus science project), task structure (individual, competitive, cooperative), teacher expectations, and the quality of the student–teacher relationship. Thus, a student may not have any interest in learning about history or physics, but may show initiative, effort, and persistence in studying art or literature. Rather than viewing people as being either motivated or not, most models of motivation view people as being differentially motivated to pursue some actions and not others. Individuals possess multiple motivations that at times compete for action (desire to watch that favorite television show and the desire to study for a science test). The key question for learning is how and why are students motivated to learn and achieve?