Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the classroom

1. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the classroom By: Moira Franchetti

2. Harter’s Individual Differences Scale • Intrinsic Motivation is looked at as the complete opposite of extrinsic motivation. • Note: This scale did not allow the students studied to indicate that either both or neither of the listed reasons may have applied to them. EX: A student in a section on reading, could only rate why they engage in the activity, for their own pleasure or to please their teacher, there was no way for the students to indicate that perhaps both those reasons could apply!!

3. New Study by Lepper, Henderlong, and Iyengar • Designed to address: • The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. • Any significant age difference results when the constructs were each measured independently. • How the two motivational orientations are related to academic outcomes. • Are there any differences between European American students and Asian American students.

4. New Study Findings • Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations are more correlated than previously thought. The real issue is not which motivation a student displays, but how much intrinsic or extrinsic they display. • Intrinsic motivation was found to decline across grade levels, in other words, a first grader would be more likely to have more intrinsic motivation than a fifth grader. Why is this so? • The greater use of extrinsically motivating factors as students progress through the school system. • Learning is becoming decontextualized, the student sees little practical use in what they are learning. • Student’s ability beliefs, and goal orientations are becoming much more negative than they used to be, i.e.: “ I will never be good at this why should I try? I always get bad grades.”

5. What Does This Mean For Us? • We as future teachers need to assist our students in learning how to develop internalized motivation. This means students must learn to develop a reason to fulfill learning goals such as studying for a difficult test in a subject they hate. While studying to pass the test is one reason, a student can learn that such an activity is good for them, and while not being the most enjoyable of activities, it is a worthwhile one.