EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

AND GUIDANCE
Course Code: 6402
Topic;

MOTIVATION
 OBJECTIVES:

After completion of this unit, the student will be

able to:
• 1. Briefly describe the philosophical ideas and psychological theories of
motivation.
• 2. Explain the role and importance of motivation in behavior and learning.
• 3. Describe how to develop achievement motivation in your students.
• 4. Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and their educational
• significance.
• 5. Narrate the techniques of motivating students in the classroom.
 Meaning and Nature of Motivation
Motivation is a process of arousing, directing, maintaining and
controlling one’s interest in a certain activity. It means to push
the right button to get desired reaction. Motivation varies in
degree. It may be low, moderate or intense. Different degrees
of motivation may be required for different levels of
complexity of the task.
For example, simple takes require moderate motivation. It is
easy to distinguish between highly motivated students and
those having low motivation.
Motivation does not arise from any single
factors. It is very complex process and refers to a
combination of force. Human beings are
motivated in different ways at different times and
for different purposes. The techniques of
motivation should vary accordingly.
Definition

H.W. Bernard “motivation refers to those phenomena which

are involved in the simulation of action towards particular objectives,
previously there was little or no movement towards those goals.
Dececco defines motivation as referring to those factors, which tend
to increase or decrease virus in an individual. It determines level of activity.
M. C. Geoch defines motive as “any condition of an
individual which points or orients him towards the practice of a given
task and which defines the adequacy of his activities and completion of the
task.
 Types of Motivation
Motivation is a complex phenomenon which may arise within the
individual or outside the individual. Many factors affect it like
psychological system emotions, habits, mental sets values and attitudes.
• Motivation can be of two types
• 1. Intrinsic Internal or Natural
• 2. Extrinsic, External or Artificial
Internal Motivation

Internal motivation refer to interest for certain action to meet a desired need
develops from within the individual automatically. Generally internal motivation is born with
the arise of biological needs. A teacher with help of certain measures can ensure internal
motivation in the pupils.
• (a) Specifying the Aims and Objectives
When objectives of a certain activity are made clear to the pupil interest to learn
will develop in the knowledge of objectives, aims, benefits and uses arise the desire for
progress in study among the students.
• (b) Curiosity
Each child wants to know what lies hidden in the box. If curiosity is involved in a
teaching activity, internal motivation can be ensured. The teacher may encourage the
students to explore and search new knowledge through discovery method.
(c) Ego Involvement

Ego plays an important role is learning. The teacher can involve ego of the students in
certain learning activities challenge for first position may push the student to burn midnight oil.
• (d) Knowledge of Result
If the students are made aware of their progress from time to time, they will certainly be
motivated to learn more, compete and break their previous records. Success and outstanding
marks in tests inspire the student internally to improve and maintain performance.
• (e) Aspiration Level
Aspiration level often determines the rate of involvement in studies. Students having
aspiration level work hard. The students who want to become doctor, engineer, technologist or
bank officers' study till late at night whereas pupils having no ambition in life show poor
performance in the class. The teacher can effectively utilize the student’s
capacities by setting high aspiration levels.
(f) Rivalry

Rivalry can be used for motivating purposes. Rivalry among individual students
between groups and between male and female pupils gives birth to healthy competition. They
may be motivated to take active part in certain school activities and show their performance.

External Motivation
External motivation refers to forces in environment that arouse the individual to act
towards desired goal. These are some measures by which external motivation can be ensured.
(a) Praise and Blame
There are powerful, incentives; praise is power incentive which induces the students to
work hard. It even creates interest in average and below satisfactory level children for study.
The teacher remarks like well done, ‘good conduct’ and very good go a long
way in motivating the pupils. Similarly blame has positive effect on excellent children.
(b) Reward and Punishment
Rewards like money, medals, badges, prizes exemptions, shields and cups
give pleasure when come with success and achievement. Reward may be
symbolic or material. Care should be taken that rewards do not become an end
themselves; otherwise unfair means would be used to get rewards. Punishment is
a negative incentive but by using it skillfully a teacher may get positive result.
Fear of punishment and humiliation among class fellows urges the students to
work till late at night and complete their homework. But some time the result of
punishment is dangerous.
• (c) Attractive School Environment
Attractive and educative environment of the school motivates the students
to stay and take part in school activities with zeal and vigour.
• (d) Nice Friends
If the student has a company of nice friends, he/she will certainly take
interest in study and other school activities in their association.
• (e) Curriculum
If the curricular activates, teaching method, teacher’s
behavior and other facilities provided in the school, suit the
students, they will naturally be motivated for learning. That is why
curriculum is said to be in accordance with learners age, experience,
mental capacities and maturity level.
• (f) Instructional Technology
Instructional technology used in the class for teaching a certain
lesson may urge the students to comprehend and learn effectively.
Movies T.V. maps, projectors, pictures etc attract the students to
acquire knowledge.
THEORIES
OF
MOTIVATIO
N
Hull’s Drive
Reduction
Theory
Maslow’s
Theory of
Self-
Actualization
Murray’
s Theory
of
Motivati
on
Theory of
Achievemen
t Motivation
The teacher can arouse achievement motive by using the following
methods.
1. Telling the stories of great man and their achievement from all
walk of life.
2. Providing proper environment in and outside the class.
3. Convincing and creating new motives
4. By creating a sense of future responsibilities
5. Awarding self-image
6. Emphasizing on improving cultural values
7. Helping the students in setting future goals
8. Keeping a record of progress in school
9. Developing of a sense of belonging
Formers, doctors, engineers and merchants show great need to
achievement the academic scholars because targets are clearer to
them.
Learning Based Theories of Motivation

• (a) Thorndike
• Thorndike conducted experiments on cats developed Laws of learning including law of effect. The
early version of law of effects was of general responses made to the same situation, those, which are
accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction to the animal, will, other things being equal, be more firmly
connect with the situation so that when it recur they will be more likely to recurr. Those which are accompanied
or closely followed by discomfort to the animal will other things being equal have their connection with that
situation weakened so that when it reoccurs they will be less likely to reoccur. We can describe the law of effect
as greater satisfaction or dissatisfaction, greater strengthening or weakening of the bond. Thorendike introduced
the law of effect as a motivational variable in learning. In his late writings, he presented readiness and
belongingness as variables for motivation. The law of readiness is a motivational principle which means that
learning occurs satisfactorily only, when the subject is ready for it. Food is satisfier only, when animal is hungry
and ready to have food. Human motivation depends upon characteristics of the individual and immediate
circumstances but in any event we must know the person’s state of readiness.
• (b) Skinner
The role of reinforcement as prime factor for motivation of behavior is
necessary for learning to take place. Skinner stresses that an individual behaves in
the way and manner in which his behavior is shaped through a particular
reinforcement schedule. He described positive, negative, primary and secondary
reinforces that are used to shape an individual’s behavior.
1. Primary reinforces: water food etc.
2. Secondary reinforces: social approval, money, grade, etc.
3. Primary negative reinforce: Physical punishment pain etc.
4. Secondary negative reinforce: Social disapproval, teachers anger, humiliation
among fellows the reinforces can be used in shaping the behaviour for motivation.
Cognitive-Field Theory of Motivation
Cognitive-Field theory of learning lays emphasis on cognitive
structure and on perception of the total field by the individual. Pattern
of human behavior are directed by cognitive structure which the
individual develops in his experiences.
Kurt Lewin suggested the Motivational
Constructs in his theory as under:

• (a) Tension
Each individual has some needs when they are not fulfilled, equilibrium
in life is disturbed. Due to this, tension comes into being within the individual.
He wants to release it through activities. The activates that help in releasing
tension are called to have positive valence and having negative effect on tension
are called positive valance and haring negative effect on tension are said to have
negative valence, tension induces valence and valence directs the behaviour of an
individual. Tension lasts till achievement of the goal.
 (b) Need
Needs, according to this theory, are of two types, genuine needs and quasi needs and quasi needs
psychological conditions of the individual gives birth to genuine needs like hunger thirst, pain
etc, tension being created by intention, acts of will and arbitrary commitments of the person are
called quasi needs. Needs create tension and in order to reduce tension the person comes to
action. Till the fulfillment of needs, he/she remains in action.
(c) Force and Valence
Force and valance are two their constructs that should be known to understand behavior
of an individual; the desirability of an activity is valence and tendency to engage in
activity is called force. When a need takes birth, there will arise a force signifying a
valences activity, when the examination is over, the student feels no need so there no
force and no valence. The theory gives importance to the present experience. This does
not mean that it totally ignores past experiences of the man. The past experiences are
valuable but his theory focuses on present experiences.
TECHNIQUES OF MOTIVATION

• Extrinsic Reward and Punishment

“Lapper’ in an experiment explored that extrinsic rewards diminish
motivation in an activity. But we have found and experienced many a time that external
reward, if utilizes skillfully, increase student’s motivation. A student having
scholarship on the base of his marks in matriculation examination, engages in
learning activities with high achievement interest at intermediate level so that he may also
have scholarship in the next classes. Scholarship has positive effect in motivating the
children to learning, but it must not be an end itself, it should create desire and interest for
more learning. Recent studies have proved that reward encourages conformity and inhabits
creativity in the learner. Use of reward should be contingent on the quality of performance,
rather than on the mere participation in an activity. Rewards are useful for motivation when
the content is not interesting. The teacher should avoid material rewards when they are
unnecessary and should not refrain from using extrinsic rewards when they are needed. As
reward seeks to influence conduct favorably by associating a pleasant feeling with the
desired act, punishment seeks to deter or prevent an undesirable act by associating
 The fear of punishment activates for more learning and
completing school takes. If it were not for the anticipated
deterrent effect of punishment and the hope of increasing
motivation, it would have no reason for existing. Except an
instrument of revenge and sadism
Praise and Blame
Everyone in this world wants praise for his achievements. ‘Herlock’
experiments show that praise is more effective than blame for activating children praise
can be used in many ways, like a nod of teacher, smile, good look or verbal praise. The teacher
must be cautions while praising a pupil in the class. He should not be praised for each activity.
Novelty
Each novel thing attracts the child’s attention and creates interest. The
teacher should create novelty into his teaching method, arrangement and presentation of
lesson content and using educational technology. According to ‘Travers’ one of
the essential ingredients involved in organizing pupils in the classroom is the provision
of materials that permit them to move in new field of exploration. By presenting the subject
matter in novel ways, the teacher can create curiosity and interest in this pupils for further
achievement and their participation and full involvement in lesson can be ensured.
Curiosity

A skillful teacher uses various means and methods to arouse curiosity in the
lesson. Science teacher often use demonstrations that surprise students and induce them
to want to understand why and how. Discussing epistemic curiosity ‘Berlyne’ is of
opinion that epistemic curiosity takes birth form conceptual conflict as when new
information appears to contradict earlier understandings. ‘Berlyne’ suggests deliberate
use of surprise, doubt, perplexity, bafflement and contradiction as means of arousing
epistemic curiosity. Curiosity is aroused and maintained by activities. The teacher can
create curiosity is aroused and maintained by causes discussion or debate, forces them to
rush for discovery and provided contradicting points of view.
Modes of Presentation

Internal motivation for some learning can be increased and enhanced by

the use of various mode of presentation. Student interests can be aroused by
intelligent use of films, demonstration, trips and guests speakers. All these
demand a careful planning on the part of teacher in order to ensure course
objectives and complements of other learning activities. Use of computer games
and simulation also increases motivation to learn. A simulation or role-play is an
exercise in which student takes roles and engages in activities appropriate to
those roles. The teacher can design simulations concerning his lesson or course
content. Through students active participation in them he can create interest for
the lesson under study.
Goals

Expectations

Clear Feedback

Respects for Personality

Securing Attention

Success versus Failure

Positive Verses Negative

The Quality of Environment

The Drive for Self-Actualization