Motivation

Achievement motivation

One classification of motivation differentiates among achievement, power, and social factors (see McClelland, 1985; Murray, 1938, 1943). In the area of achievement motivation, the work on has differentiated three separate types of goals: mastery goals (also called learning goals) which focus on gaining competence or mastering a new set of knowledge or skills; performance goals (also called ego-involvement goals) which focus on achieving normative-based standards, doing better than others, or doing well without a lot of effort; and social goals which focus on relationships among people (see Ames, 1992; Dweck, 1986; Urdan & Maehr, 1995). In the context of school learning, which involves operating in a relatively structured environment, students with mastery goals outperform students with either perect of this theory is that individuals are motivated to either avoid failure (more often associated with performance goals) or achieve success (more often associated with mastery goals). In the former situation, the individual is more likely to select easy or difficult tasks, thereby either achieving success or having a good excuse for why failure occurred. In the latter situation, the individual is more likely to select moderately difficult tasks which will provide an interesting challenge, but still keep the high expectations for success.

Impacting motivation in the classroom

  • Stipek (1988) suggests there are a variety of reasons why individuals may be lacking in motivation and provides a list of specific behaviors associated with high academic achievement. This is an excellent checklist to help students develop the conative component of their lives. In addition, as stated previously in these materials, teacher efficacy is a powerful input variable related to student achievement (Proctor, 1984). formance or social goals. However, in life success, it seems critical that individuals have all three types of goals in order to be very successful.

How to motivate students?

In my opinion – the motivation is the most important element of teaching English. From the

first contact of the students with a foreign language an English teacher should explain what

learning English means, why do the students learn a language and what the knowledge of

English can bring them.

The personality of the teacher is very important. And it is not important if she or he will be

teaching young children or adults. The students mustn´t be afraid of learning, of speaking

and using the language.

The first experience will influence them. Forever! And that can be the decicive factor wheter

their knowledge will stop at the same level or if it is possible to improve their knowledge.

Our world is open for all of us and the English language is really the international language.

Young students like English rhymes, songs,puzzles,etc. The teacher can use toys, flash-

cards, puppets in teaching and he or she lead the pupils very gently and hapilly. The

teacher can encourage them with reading fairy-tales, with playing games, making cross-

words, quizes. I think this not only apply young students who enjoy playing but adults

like the kind of activities too. It depends on the teacher´s decision what he or she wants

to use in teaching. The older students are interested in travelling, listening to music, talking,

telling jokes, reading books, watching DVDs, movies. The teacher must be able to choose

the right activities in the right time of education.

The lesson must be creative and dynamic. The activities must change often.

In my class, I´m used to preparing each lesson with „ warm activities“ ( repeating ), then

we explain the new grammar. I want to choose the most interesting way of explanation.

( rhymes, songs, jokes etc.). The students like to smile, so sometimes we play „ spy games“.

One students is sitting in front of the class facing the others and he or she is „WANTED“...

The classmates ask him or her the questions. For example – for practising the modal verb

CAN, they can ask: „ CAN you drive a car?“, „ CAN you speak English?“, „ What CAN

you do?“ etc. ( some important verbs are written on the board and translated ).The rest of

the class has to find – WHO THIS SPY IS.

At the end of my presentation I would like to mention one proverb: „It´s not how good

you are,it´s how good you want to be.“

Every teacher should know that.

Every teacher should be able to motivate the students.

I declare that this homework was done independently. In some part I used following source

on the internet :

Mgr. Gabriela Andělová, AJ – IKS 2.