What motivates you? Is it money, praise or the opportunity to prove you’re better than than the next person? Or, is it something else? Is it an elusive determination to discover more.
In his TED talk What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work, Dan Ariely explores the concept of motivation. Although he focuses on the labour market his results have specific relevance to education and learning. He suggests money isn’t always the prime motivator. Rather, Ariely says progress and a sense of accomplishment may be more encouraging.
I think he has a point.
As a teacher I have seen meaningless tasks, tasks that lack an authentic audience, lead to glazed eyes and fidgeting fingers . The ensuing boredom provokes a search for something more ‘entertaining’, something that infers challenge. Similarly a lack of recognition often sends students hunting for more attention – any attention.
As his presentation concludes Ariely proposes, ‘in a knowledge economy, meaning is more important than efficiency’. He explains, motivation is not born of payment and empty praise, but of factors such as “meaning, creation, challenge, ownership, identity and pride”.
I believe him.
I have seen the crestfallen looks of students who laboured faithfully over a particular piece of work, only to be given a number on a page, a number suggesting they haven’t done enough. Although some strive to ‘make the grade’. Many don’t. They become angry, frustrated and bitterly disappointed. They feel as though their efforts have been wasted.
Our students need more than red scratches on a piece of paper. They deserve more than abstract numbers to signal success. They require progress.
We can offer authentic learning experiences. We can set tasks that have real world application. We can provide opportunities to apply knowledge and solve problems – challenges which are relevant to students’ experience.
We can give our students a chance to feel motivated.
If you watch the clip, here’s a challenge. Can you think of a way to use these ideas to increase your own motivation? In a sense I’m asking you to manage your own motivational mindset.
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If you enjoyed reading this post you may like to read Nicole’s book, Is This MyStory