Student Motivation

Student Motivation

Introduction

“The first and best victory is to conquer Self”-Plato

If a student knows more about motivation, then it can make him/her a better student. Knowing what motivates and how to motivate oneself is an important point for students and teachers to think on. Knowing about motivation can help in increasing productivity. Motivation is an important issue because; not knowing about what motivates a student is a barrier in improving a student's learning (Christensen, Horn, & Johnson, 2010). A student must know what motivational tactics work on him/her, and what things motivate him/her to perform better in class and consequently make him a good student.

There have been many articles, theories and research papers written about the relationship between motivation and students. But, all of them don't offer a consistent explanation about student motivation. It may be because the students have complex desires and requirements (Williams & Williams, 2012).

Motivation

Motivation is a desire to do things. There are both external as well as internal factors that encourage people to be interested in anything they do (Business Dictionary, 2013). Motivation is dependent on the intensity of need, the reward offered upon achievement of goals, self and peer expectations.

There are two types of motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is about being inspired or motivated to do something because it is the inner self is satisfied upon doing a certain job. For example, a student who studies chemistry with more eagerness and interest than any other subjects is intrinsically motivated to study chemistry. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is about being inspired to achieve goals because of external rewards. The external awards may include money, prizes, examination marks et cetera. Students who rely on extrinsic motivation for studying might be out performed by students who are intrinsically motivated because extrinsically motivated students look for prizes, scores or even vacations, as a reward to study. On the other hand, extrinsically motivated students study because they genuinely interested in learning.

According to (Lee, 2010) motivation lays down the foundation for the cognitive behavior set. All the actions of a human being are based on motivation.

In every situation and environment, motivation is required to achieve a task. If a student is expected to achieve good grades in a class, then he or she must be sufficiently motivated enough to do so. The behavior of a student is also shaped by the environment in which he or she is exposed to. People get motivated when their achievement and works are appreciated. They also feel motivated when the work in which they derive intrinsic satisfaction from is encouraged.

There are many motivational theories that can be used to explain motivation in students.

The best known theory about motivation is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The theory states that people are motivated by a set of needs which are constant around the world. He drew a pyramid in which these needs were ranked, based upon their influence on human behavior. They are physiological (lowest order), safety, belongingness, esteem and ...