If a teachers' beliefs, behaviors, vision and disposition are all on the same page and working together then learners will be able to reach their fullest potential because the teacher is the leader and is portraying the essential values.
If the material being presented to the learn provokes a strong negative emotional tie to the learner then it is likely that the learner will not become motivated to learn the information at hand because one key emotional and motivational factor referred to as learned helplessness will stand in the way of the learner. Learned helplessness is a condition that affects motivation over time. It is based on experience in which the students feels he or she has no control and is doomed to failure due to the negative feedback that they have faced the in past.
Emotions and motivation can go hand in hand. If the material provokes a strong positive sense of emotion within the learner then the learner's motivation to learn will increase. Two key emotional and motivational factors are learned helplessness and anxiety. Learned helplessness is a condition that affects motivation over a period of time. It is mainly based on an experience where the student feels that he or she does not have any power and is only facing failure for the future. Learned helplessness can be formed due to the learners childhood experience or even from the use of rewards and punishment within the formal learning process. Anxiety usually has to do with the intense fear of failing. While experiencing this fear, learners end up lacking in self-esteem and pride. Anxiety generally becomes a main focus when the learner focuses on what others think about them.
I believe that throughout my future teaching endeavors, I will most likely come into contact with children who have formulated a sense of learned helplessness or anxiety. In my opinion, it is my duty to create a comfortable learning environment for all. In order to accomplish this goal, I will have to provide my students with immediate and positive feedback. I will continually provide my students with clear and concise rubrics that allow them to visibly recognize the expectations for the material at hand. I believe that allowing the students to understand and comprehend the task and the expectations before beginning the learning process will eliminate a large amount of anxiety for the learners.
Another important aspect of learning is the self-determination theory. This is a theory of human motivation that focuses on personality. It can be broken down into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation can be referred to as the innate drive to learn. It can be seen as the learning for love of learning. However, extrinsic motivation refers to as an outside force such as rewards or punishments. Deci and Ryan explain that there are three needs that require satisfaction which include autonomy, competence and relatedness. When these three are all intact then the person will encounter wellness.
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Maureen,
ReplyDeleteI like how you've begun to imagine the application of the theories we are learning and interrogating to your own practice. Keep it up! I'm going to challenge you proposition that by providing students with clear rubrics and expectations will lessen their anxiety. What of self-determination? How do the Big 3 (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) fit into your vision of using clear guidelines and frameworks to guide your students learning? If you don't "buy-in" to the Big 3 as the key to developing intrinsic motivation, and propose clear rubrics, etc. are the key, then you need to provide evidence beyond your intuition. Let's hear it. :)