According to Merriam Webster,motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something.For example, you might say that a student is so motivated to get into a clinical psychology program that she spends every night studying.“The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior… Motives are the “whys” of behavior – the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don’t actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one So what exactly lies behind the motivations for why we act? Psychologists have proposed different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory, and humanistic theory. The reality is that there are many different forces that guide and direct our motivations.
Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise.Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.
Presumably, although it is not the teacher’s job to entertain students, it is vital to engage them in the learning process. Selecting a style that addresses the needs of diverse students at different learning levels begins with a personal inventory — a self-evaluation — of the teacher’s strengths and weaknesses. As they develop their teaching styles and integrate them with effective classroom management skills, teachers will learn what works best for their personalities and curriculum.
On the other hand,no two teachers will teach in the same way, just as no two students learn something in the same way. A teacher’s teaching style is based on their educational philosophy, their classroom’s demographic, what subject area (or areas) they teach, and the school’s mission statement. If you are a new teacher, you might be wondering just what your teaching style is and how it could be affecting your students. It’s important to know that there are two key approaches that the other teaching theories fall into – teacher-centered and student-centered.
Primarily,teachers being the focal figure in education, must be competent and knowledgeable in order to impart the knowledge they could give to their students. Good teaching is a very personal manner. Effective teaching is concerned with the student as a person and with his general development. The teacher must recognize individual differences among his/her students and adjust instructions that best suit to the learners. It is always a fact that as educators, we play varied and vital roles in the classroom. Teachers are considered the light in the classroom. We are entrusted with so many responsibilities that range from the very simple to most complex and very challenging jobs. Everyday we encounter them as part of the work or mission that we are in. It is very necessary that we need to understand the need to be motivated in doing our work well, so as to have motivated learners in the classroom. When students are motivated, then learning will easily take place. However, motivating students to learn requires a very challenging role on the part of the teacher. It requires a variety of teaching styles or techniques just to capture students’ interests. Above all, the teacher must himself come into possession of adequate knowledge of the objectives and standards of the curriculum, skills in teaching, interests, appreciation and ideals. He needs to exert effort to lead children or students into a life that is large, full, stimulating and satisfying. Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need or expect their instructors or teachers to inspire, challenge or stimulate them. “Effective learning in the classroom depends on the teacher’s ability to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place (Erickson, 1978). Not all students are motivated by the same values, needs, desires and wants. Some students are motivated by the approval of others or by overcoming challenges.
Teachers must recognize the diversity and complexity in the classroom, be it the ethnicity, gender, culture, language abilities and interests. Getting students to work and learn in class is largely influenced in all these areas. Classroom diversity exists not only among students and their peers but may be also exacerbated by language and cultural differences between teachers and students.
As stressed in the Educator’s Diary published in 1995, “teaching takes place only when learning does.” Considering one’s teaching style and how it affects students’ motivation greatly concerns the researchers. Although we might think of other factors, however, emphasis has been geared towards the effect of teacher’s teaching style and student motivation.
Reference:
Teaching Style: A Primary Determinant of Student Motivation Charles E. Bowen and Charles H. Madsen, JThe Journal of EducationVol. 160, No. 4 (FALL 1978), pp. 16-24Published by: Trustees of Boston University
Barberos, M.T. Gonzalo,A.et al Effect of Teacher’s Teaching Style on Students’ Motivation (2012)
By: Maricris Cruz Sison | Teacher I | BATAAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL | City of Balanga, Bataan
