motivation theories in the classroom

1. Motivation
How can we maximize student
motivation and minimize the negative
effects we have on our students?

2. Elements of motivation:
• Developing appropriate activities
• Getting to know your students
• Metacognition
• Student confidence
• Engagement
• Student autonomy and self-determination
• Differentiation
• Self-actualization

3. Carol Dweck- Mindset: The new
psychology of success (2006)
• All students can learn
• Making mistakes leads to learning
• “Failures” do NOT define you
• Praise efforts and strategies, not outcomes
• Tenacity leads to establishing new neural
pathways, resilience, coping mechanisms
• Drive to succeed creates natural learners
(chunking, interconnectivity)

4. Maslow: A theory of human
motivation (1943)
• Hierarchy of Needs
• Security/Safety, social preservation
• Need for self-actualization
• Preconditions of basic need satisfaction

5. Stephen Krashen: Secondary language acquisition:
Theory, application, and some conjectures (2013)
• Comprehensible input (i+1)
• Level-appropriate content and activities
• Total Physical Response (Asher)
• Alcohol and language acquisition?

6. Richard Ryan & Edward Deci: Self-determination theory
and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social
development , and well-being (2000)
• Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
• Autonomy
• Competence
• Self-determination
• Autonomy supportive classrooms

7. Jean Lave: Situated learning in
communities of practice (1991)
• Social motivation
• Should we teach in a classroom?
• Immersion
• Differentiation
• Personalized curriculum
• Natural Order Theory (Krashen 2013)