Motivation

• Lowell defines motivation as A psychological or internal process

initiated by some need which leads to the activity which will
satisfy that need.
• Motivation is a source of vigour or efforts.
• Motivation refers to those factors which increase and decrease
the vigour of an individual activity.
• Thus learning is directly proportional to motivation.
• The greater the motivation the greater the learning.
• Anything that initiates activity whether internal or external is motivation
Hankansoon, J.E (1989)
• The English word motivation originated from movere move which means
to move.
• Motivation is the influence of general pattern of activities indicating and
directing the behavior of the organism ( Johnson 1972)
• Motive is a state of the individual which disposes him towards certain
behavior and for seeking certain goals Wodworth (1968)
• Motivation is an energy change within the person characterized by
effective arousal and anticipatory goal relations Koman, A.R (1974)
• A motive is any particular internal factor or condition that tends to intiate and to
sustain activity (Young P.T 1981)
• Generally motives can be classified into two categories
• Primary Motives:
• These are also known as initial motives and some regard them as natural motives
because these are concerned with the individual and his community. These motives
are hunger, thirst, relief from pain, sleep, comfort, sexual desire etc.
• These motives are found in every person.
• These are born instructs and satisfy the basic needs of the body.
• These motives satisfy physiological and biological needs such as
• Hunger, thirst
• Resting after being tired
• Engaging in work after rest
• Need for sleeping after remaining sleepless for many hours
• Satisfying sexual desire
• Need for protection from storm, rain, cold, heat, fire and danger from wild
beats.
• Secondary Motives
• these motives are not inborn.
• While satisfying his physiological needs, man derives these motives also:
• need for love and belongingness,
• need for protection status and acceptance.
• These motives give birth to social and physiological needs, such as
• Need for being independent and self dependent
• Achievements related needs
• Affection related needs
• Respect and social acceptance related needs
• Need for befriending or leading
• Need for power and looking socially powerful
• Need for self expression.
Types of Motivation
• There are two types of motivation
• Intrinsic Motivation
• Extrinsic Motivation
• Intrinsic Motivation:
• Is a force inside the individual and works from within the individual.
• In other words it does not depend upon the stimulus from outside
• natural interest in some thing acts as intrinsic motivation, because no
outside force is required to get the individual engaged in the activity
of his interest.
• The realization of ones duty is the example of intrinsic motivation
• Intrinsic motivation is the most effective type of drive.
• It is secured by making the subject matter significant or meaningful
to the learners.
• The interest is within activity and learning carries its own reward.
Extrinsic Motivation
• There are occasions when learning proceeds in the absence of instrinsic
motivation.
• Extrinsic motivation is so called because it is external to the learning activity
itself.
• It is usually provided by incentives outside the activity or the task.
• Appreciation praise and reward are some of the examples of extrinsic
motivation.
• Intrinsic motivation is more or less natural and therefore the teacher can do
very little regarding this
• therefore the teacher should make use of such methods, devices and
techniques which help to provide extrinsic motivation.
• 1. Physiological Needs
• These are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. air, food, drink, shelter,
clothing, warmth, sex, sleep.
• If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally.
• Maslow considered physiological needs the most important as all the other needs
become secondary until these needs are met.
• 2. Safety needs
• Protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.
• 3. Love and belongingness needs -
• After physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third level of human
needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness.
• The need for interpersonal relationships motivates behavior
• Examples include friendship, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection
and love. Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
• 4. Esteem needs
• Maslow classified into two categories:
• (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, independence)
• (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g., status,
prestige).
• Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most
important for children.
• 5. Self-actualization needs
• Realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth
and peak experiences. A desire “to become everything, one is capable
of becoming”
 Theories of Motivation
• Pawn theory
• Instinct theory
• Need Theory
• Stimulation Theory
• Behavior or learning theory
• Social theory
• Depth Theory
• Physiological Theory
• Pawn theory:
• According to this theory, we are a pawn, a puppet, an instrument in
the hands of God.
• Instinct Theory:
• William james (1990) is said to be the originator of this theory.
• The Instinct Theory of Motivation views biological or genetic
programming as the cause of motivation. This claim means that all
humans have the same motivations due to our similar biological
programming. This theory says that the root of all motivations is
the motivation to survive.
• Need theory:
• The more intense the need the more the motivation.
• Stimulation theory:
• All inner and outer stimuli that bear upon a person at one time
constitute his psychological field and determine his behavior jointly
through interaction.
• Behaviour or learning theory:
• This is more elaborate than the need theory.
• Hull 1975 and his associates are the supporters of this theory.
• The theory has three main components:
• All motivated behaviour is based on needs and desires.
• All learning involves reward.
• Needs may be biological or psychological primary or secondary.
• Social theory:
• According to this theory causes of social behavior are to be found in the social
environment. There are two streams of this theory:
• Cultural pattern :
• According to this view, an individual is cast in the mould of culture to which he belongs.
• Different cultures would therefore produce different types of personalities.
• The field theory:
• According to this theory behavior is caused by the interactions between a persons and his
environment
• Depth Theory:
• Special exploratley techniques are needed to dig out of unconscious.
• Unconscious motives influence our conscious thought and conduct.
• Physiological theory:
• This theory holds that the secrets of the mind are locked within the cells of the nervous
systems.
 Conditions for Promoting
Motivation
• As motivation or interest is the basic conditions of learning
• the teacher must know how to arouse and maintain interest in the class. Following are
some of the important conditions for promoting motivation:
• Creating interest:
• creating interest in learning something is perhaps the best way of promoting motivation.
• The interest may be natural or acquired.
• If the interest is natural it is a case of intrinsic motivation and therefore no external forces
of any types is required, for example
• Interest in sports, music, painting etc is generally required and created. Once the interest
is created it works like intrinsic motivation, and therefore the need for extrinsic motivation
becomes unnecessary.
• Interest may be permanent or temporary.
• Arousing curiosity:
• Curiosity is great motivation force.
• Once the students become curious about something they will be keenly interested to
know about it.
• Arousing of curiosity therefor is an important condition for motivation.
• Curiosity about something will naturally lead to its exploration.
• The motivation for specific is called curiosity.
• Therefore it is the responsibility of the school and teacher to provide an environment
which includes those opportunities which nourish a child curiosity.
• Developing achievements motivation:
• Achievements motivation as its name implies means motivation to achieve something.
• The higher the achievements motivation the greater the learning.
• This implies setting of high goals before the pupils.
• If the goals are high and challenging the effort will also be increased.
• Therefore the teacher should try to keep high aims before the pupils.
• Achievements motivation is defined as A need that a person feel
within himself to compete against an interested standard of
excellence.
• The teacher must therefore encourage the students who want to
achieve as much as possible.
• Providing Incentives:
• Extrinsic motivation can be produced by providing incentives.
• The incentives can be in the form of rewards praise and appreciation.
• Therefore the teacher should make use of such incentives.
• Incentives should be provided at the right time and in the right form
• The teacher must therefore know and use the art of providing
incentives.
• Producing the spirit of competition:
• The spirit of competition is a great pf motivating force.
• Spirit of competition implies the desire to excel others.
• It is like a race in which everybody likes to win.
• Competition has been widely used by teacher as a means of motivation
towards achievements.
• Thus the students encouraged to compete with one another to win some
prize or to receive the highest grade in the examination.
• In addition to this instead of individuals competition group competitions are
suggested.
• This will minimize the chance of rivalry and jealousy.
• Hence the teachers should make use of competitions as a motivation force
in a healthy and desirable manner.
 Importance of motivation in
learning
• Motivation is the most important factors in learning.
• In school learning motivation involves arousing sustaining any desirable conduct.
• Educators have considered motivation as the well a spring of all learning.
• Psychologist have consensus on this point that motivation is the essential pre condition to learning.
• Some experts views are given here:
• Prof. john j. Ryan:
• Rightly says Motivation is the heart of learning process.
• Adequate motivation not only sets in the motion the activity which results in learning but also sustain
and direct.
• Mc Connel: says the organism must be motivated to learn.
• View of Gates: Motivation is indispensable to learning.
• Kelly ‘s View: Motivation is the central factor of the process of learning.
• when the teacher first meets his class the matter of motivation must receive his primary,,,, attention.
• The success of the teacher depend on how well he can arouse the interest and motivation of pupils.
 Class Room incentives to
Motivation
• A number of class room incentives may be used to secure maximum motivation.
• (a) Praise and blame / Reproof:
• Praise is positive incentives whereas blame or reproof is a negative incentive.
• These incentives are the most effective when they come from persons held in respect by
the learner.
• However some studies indicate that regardless of age sex or initial ability praise is the
most effective of the incentives.
• Reward and punishment:
• Reward and punishment are expression of praise and reproof.
• Reward is likely to increase self confidence and build up a positive self image.
• Punishment on the other hand hits self image and brings in a sense of shame or
humiliation.
• Knowledge of Result:
• The knowledge of result is a powerful motivational device to learning.
• It could also contribute to teacher own success in the act of teaching.
• The effectiveness of knowledge of result was reported as early a 1905
by Judd.
• He demonstrated that practices without awareness of result had no
effect on certain types of learning.
• Success and Failure:
• Successful learning experience motivate the pupils.
• This means learning experiences should be carefully planned so as to
avoid, if not eliminate , experiences of failure in the class room learning.
• Success is always satisfying and bring in sense of achievements and joy.
• Competition and Rivalry:
• Competition and rivalry may be understood to send negative signals.
• But if rightly manipulated healthy spirit of competition and rivalry will
lead to better effort and achievements.
Thanks