Kamis, 25 Desember 2014

Phsycologycal aspect on Teaching and Learning (Motivation, self esteem and anxiety)



-motivation
The definition of motivation
“Motivation is defined as an internal drive that activates behavior and gives it direction. The term motivation theory is concerned with the processes that describe why and how human behavior is activated and directed”  .Motivation is  some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something.Marion Williams and Richard Burden suggest that motivation is a state of cognitive arousal which provokes a decision to act as a result of which there is sustained intellectual and/or physical effort so that person can achieve some previously set goal.
Why do we need motivated students? Motivated students will eventually become entrepreneurs or work for an employer. These motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive (Lindner, 1998).
How do we motivate our students? Research show that setting objectives is an effective way of helping students learn and recall information. It is important for students to set not only long term goals of the project, but the short term goals as well. ( Briggs, Gustafson, & Tillman, 1992, p. 110 )
Teachers often blame a student’s learning problems on his or her so-called lack of motivation. According to Driscoll (2000) teachers believe that this lack of motivation is the underlying reason students avoid class work, refuse to become fully engaged in a learning task, fail to complete work they could easily do, or are willing to complete a task only for some tangible reward it may bring.
It is almost as if teachers believe motivation to be an innate trait of learners rather than a variable that is significantly shaped and influenced by outside factors (Paris & Turner, 1994).

The kind of motivation :
Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is the self-desire to seek out new things and new challenges, to analyze one's capacity, to observe and to gain knowledge. It is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward. Intrinsic motivation has been studied since the early 1970s. The phenomenon of intrinsic motivation was first acknowledged within experimental studies of animal behavior. In these studies, it was evident that the organisms would engage in playful and curiosity driven behaviors in the absence of reward. Intrinsic motivation is a natural motivational tendency and is a critical element in cognitive, social, and physical development. Students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to engage in the task willingly as well as work to improve their skills, which will increase their capabilities Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they:
  • attribute their educational results to factors under their own control, also known as autonomy or locus of control
  • believe they have the skills to be effective agents in reaching their desired goals, also known as self-efficacy beliefs
  • are interested in mastering a topic, not just in achieving good grades
·         Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation  refers to the performance of an activity in order to attain a desired outcome and it is the opposite of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation comes from influences outside of the individual. Common extrinsic motivations are rewards (for example money or grades) for showing the desired behavior, and the threat of punishment following misbehavior. Competition is in an extrinsic motivator because it encourages the performer to win and to beat others, not simply to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the activity. A cheering crowd and the desire to win a trophy are also extrinsic incentives.
·         Source of Motivation : the motivation that brings students to the task of learning English can be affected and influenced by the attitude of a number of people. It is worth considering what and who these are since they form part of the world around students feeling and engagement with the learning process.
1.    The society we live in
2.    Significant others : parents, older siblings and student’s peer
3.    The teacher
4.    The method
·         Six Ways to Motivate Students to Learn
Scientific research has provided us with a number of ways to get the learning juices flowing, none of which involve paying money for good grades. And most smart teachers know this, even without scientific proof.
1.   Fine-tune the challenge. We’re most motivated to learn when the task before us is matched to our level of skill: not so easy as to be boring, and not so hard as to be frustrating. Deliberately fashion the learning exercise so that students are working at the very edge of your abilities, and keep upping the difficulty as they improve.
2.  Start with the question, not the answer. Memorizing information is boring. Discovering the solution to a puzzle is invigorating. Present material to be learned not as a fait accompli, but as a live question begging to be explored.
3.   Encourage students to beat their personal best. Some learning tasks, like memorizing the multiplication table or a list of names or facts, are simply not interesting in themselves. Generate motivation by encouraging students to compete against themselves: run through the material once to establish a baseline, then keep track of how much they improve (in speed, in accuracy) each time.
4.   Connect abstract learning to concrete situations. Adopt the case-study method that has proven so effective for business, medical and law school students: apply abstract theories and concepts to a real-world scenario, using these formulations to analyze and make sense of situations involving real people and real stakes.
5.   Make it social. Put together a learning group, or have students find learning partners with whom they can share their moments of discovery and points of confusion. Divide the learning task into parts, and take turns being teacher and pupil. The simple act of explaining what they’re learning out loud will help them understand and remember it better.
6.   Go deep. Almost any subject is interesting once you get inside it. Assign the task of becoming the world’s expert on one small aspect of the material they have to learn—then extend their new expertise outward by exploring how the piece they know so well connects to all the other pieces they need to know about.
 Motivation is likely to be highest when:
1.    Learners do not experience frequent failure and harsh criticism.
2.    The curriculum material is interesting and relevant; topics are sufficiently challenging, but not overwhelming.
3.    Learners are encouraged to set their own goals and are then supported in achieving them.
4.    Learners are given the opportunity to make choices and exercise some control over what they do in class and the manner in which they do it (greater autonomy).
5.     Collaborative group work is used frequently.
6.    Teachers reverse students’ negative thinking about their own capabilities,and enhance positive self-belief by encouraging open discussion about learning, learning strategies, effort, and ability.
7.    Teachers remember to apply the principle that learners’ motivation and confidence are enhanced by respect and approval from others.
8.    If a reward system is used in the classroom it should ensure that all students attain rewards if they put in sufficient effort.

©      Self Esteem
·        Self-esteem is a disposition that a person has which represents their judgments of their own worthiness. Olsen, J. M.; Breckler, S. J.; Wiggins, E. C. (2008).
·         Self-esteem has been compared to a bucket of water. It starts out full when we're born, but whenever we develop negative beliefs about ourselves, it's like poking little holes in that bucket and our self-esteem drips out.* Have the group brainstorm a list of things we do or say to ourselves or to others that pokes holes in the self-esteem bucket. Put this list on the wall to serve as a constant reminder.
·          At the top of this column is a list of things we can do to protect, raise, or reinforce our self-esteem. Go through this list with the group and discuss each point. How might each of these things contribute to a higher self-esteem? Can they think of any additional suggestions of their own?
·         Eleanor Roosevelt said "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission." Have a group discussion about this quote. What does it mean? How true is it? Can you think of cases where it might not be true? In what kinds of situations would this quote be most useful to remember?
·         Have everybody in the class bring in one or two advertisements aimed at teenagers. These can be cut out of magazines or taped off of TV. Have a class discussion to evaluate the ads by asking the following questions: How is this ad attempting to appeal to me? What assumptions does this ad make about me? How is this ad intended to make me feel about myself? Is there anything about this ad that's intended to make me feel is ad intended to make me feel better about myself, or bad about myself? In what way is this ad attempting to appeal to me? Would I be most vulnerable to this ad if I had high self esteem, or low self-esteem?
·         THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS
·         Self-esteem is the sum and substance of one's feelings and thoughts about who we are and as such is of great importance.
·         Self-esteem is the foundation that we build the rest of us on.Self-esteem, or one's sense of worth, is often fragile and sensitive to events that happen on a day-to-day basis.
·         Self-esteem is critical for individuals to think about and be able to
1.    take advantage of strengths and for learning from mistakes (metacognition).
2.    Healthy self-esteem is an essential component for learning. Regardless of age, the self-esteem of a learner facilitates or inhibits learning.(Solomon 1992)
3.    Learning is growth - intellectual, physical, psychological, social, spiritual and combinations of those. In every aspect of this learning process there is the potential to damage, maintain or increase self-esteem. Self-esteem in most students 'mirrors' the appraisals of others, in particular parents and teachers. Teachers views clearly affect learners achievements. Positive appraisals over an extended time tend to increase the level of learning. Prolonged or consistent negative appraisals tend to lower learning achievement. Students tend to perform in accordance with teacher expectations and treatment - self-fulfilling prophecy (Loomans & Loomans 1994).

·         Teachers find that students with low self-esteem exhibit some or all of the following characteristics:
1.    learning problems
2.    social and emotional problems
3.    behaviour problems
4.    unstable home lives
5.    high absenteeism
6.    frequent illness
·         The wide range of experiences a student has while going through school - scholastic, athletic, social, emotional - all constitute input to his or her self-esteem development. Every success and failure, together with the reactions of peers, parents and teachers to these experiences, will contribute significantly to the students self-worth, self-confidence, self-reliance and self-competence (Robb & Letts 1995).
·         As teachers we can be instrumental in creating a classroom environment which nurtures and supports students developing self-esteem. This can be achieved by modeling to students that mistakes are part of the learning process for both children and adults. It is important to empower and skill students to assess their achievements in a positive productive manner. This creates autonomous learners. Students need to be encouraged to develop support systems both within and outside of the classroom so that they feel confident to take risks in their learning.
·         Lack of confidence in one’s ability obviously relates to self-efficacy, as discussed above, and to feelings of self-worth and fear of failure. To protect feelings of selfworth some students would rather their failures be attributed to the fact they had not made an effort rather than that they lacked ability (Covington & Teel,1996).
©         Anxiety
·            Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behavior, such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints and rumination. Seligman, M.E.P.; Walker, E.F.; Rosenhan, D.L..
·           Impact of Anxiety
Anxiety disordered students
1.    Obvious distress and disability
2.    Less likely to have satisfying social relationships
3.    Higher ongoing usage of health facilities
4.    Take longer to move out of home
5.    Live a life (in their own words) of “missed opportunity”
6.    Early anxiety disorders predict adult anxiety disorders, depression, suicide, substance abuse and conduct problems
7.    85% of depressed adolescents have a history of childhood anxiety
8.    growing out of it’is a myth
·         Academic Impact of Anxiety
1.    Anxiety leads to poor academic performance & under-achievement
2.    High anxious children in grade 1 are 10x more likely to be in bottom 1/3 of class by grade 5
3.    High anxious students score lower than peers on measures of IQ and achievement tests (eg basic skills)
4.    Anxiety leads to poor engagement in class
5.    High anxious students often avoid tasks that require communication or that involve potential peer or teacher evaluation
6.    They consequently miss the benefit of interactive learning experiences
7.    Anxiety leads to school refusal•Anxiety leads to drop out–49% of anxious adults report having left education early, 24% indicated anxiety as the primary reason•Academic consequences lead to long term economic losses for individual and society
·         How does anxiety impact at school?
1.    Learning
2.    Attention
3.    Interpretation
4.    Concentration
5.    Memory
6.    Social Interaction
7.    Beliefs/Expectations
8.    Health


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