Cate-Linne's Teaching Experience: Contexts for Learning - Motivation, Interest and Engagement

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Contexts for Learning - Motivation, Interest and Engagement

Csikszentmihalyi's Flow

Motivation, interest and engagement are three interconnected learning qualities that all teachers must address when teaching in the modern day classroom. Motivation is ‘the process of instigating and sustaining goal-directed activities’ (Schunk, 2004, p. 484). Interest is ‘the feeling of one whose concern, curiosity, attention, etc. is fixed on something’ (Oxford University, 2001, p. 574) and engagement refers to the ‘act or state of engaging or being engaged’ (Oxford University, 2001, p. 363). The key theorists associated with interest, motivation and engagement are Csikszentmihalyi and Maslow. Csikszentmihalyi’s flow is ‘deep involvement in an activity that is perceived as rewarding in itself’ (Keller & Bless, 2008, p. 196). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is essential to the development of a quality learning experience. This hierarchy explains that ‘needs for safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization,’ (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 303) must come before learning can be achieved and tackled.

Maslow's Hierachy of Needs

As a learner I have discovered the elements of motivation, interest and engagement. The key incident of realisation occurred at university. Subjects such as Information Technology and Popular Culture interest me and therefore my interest level in the content being taught increases. Upon the interest level rising I find that my motivation to put in the hard work and stay up to date improves whilst through putting in the extra effort my engagement with subject content is amplified. Then the whole cycle begins again. I have also experienced flow when I have been learning Oboe. My teacher’s individualised, student driven teaching style allowed my engagement to be at its greatest level and that is when a state of timelessness was achieved. Motivation, interest and engagement are three states of learning that are interconnected and you cannot have one without it affecting the other two.

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References

So by now you have read my entries on

Behaviourism
Cognitive-Constructivism
Cultural-Historical Theory
Interest, Motivation and Engagement
Quality Learning and Metacognition
Changing Worlds
Learner Diversity

and would have seen that i have many references but haven't listed where they have come from... Did you want to know?

Well the have come from the following.

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Burke, P. (2001, October). New Horizions for Learning. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from New Horizions for Learning: http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/styles/guild.htm

Clark, S. C. (1995). Piaget's theory and its value for teachers. Educational Philosophy and Theory , 27 (2), 64-88.

Coffey, H. (n.d.). Zone of Proximal Development. Retrieved April 27, 2010, from Learn NC: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5075

Edgar, D., & Edgar, P. (2008). The New Child - In search of smater grown-ups. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Wilkinson Publishing Pty Ltd.

Gardner, H. (2009). The Five Minds for the Future. School Administrator , 66 (2), 16-20.

Keller, J., & Bless, H. (2008). Flow and Regulatory Compatibility: An Experimental Approach to the Flow Model of Intrinsic Motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 196-209.

Koltko-Rivera, M. E. (2006). Rediscovering the Later Version of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Self-Transcendence and Opportunities for Theory, Research, and Unification. Review of General Psychology , 10 (4), 302-317.

Oxford University. (1997). The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (3rd Edition ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Oxford University. (2001). The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary (5th Edition ed.). (B. Moore, Ed.) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Powell, K. C., & Kalina, C. J. (2009). Cognitive and Social Constructivism: Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom. Education , 130 (2), 242.

Radloff, A. (2008). Engaging staff in quality learning and teaching: What’s a Pro Vice Chancellor to do? Rockhampton: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

RIC Publications . (2006). 6 Thinking Hats. Classroom , 26 (3), 18-19.

Schunk, D. H. (2004). Learning Theories; An Educational Perspective (4th Edition ed.). United States of America: Pearson Pretice Hall.

Sleigh, J. (2002). Learning styles from theory to practice. Training and Development in Australia , 29 (2), 17-18.

Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartleft, & Biehler. (2009). Psychology Applied to Teaching: Australian Edition (1st Edition ed.). Milton, Queensland, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.