Motivation has several effects on students’ learning and behavior. … Motivation also leads to increased effort and energy. Motivation determines whether a student will pursue a task (even a difficult one) with enthusiasm or a lackluster attitude. Motivation increases the initiation and persistence of activities.
Once they get motivated to achieve something by doing the tasks, they will eventually exert their full effort, time, and energy. In this way, they become determined or persistent in accomplishing things even if these are not of their interest.
How Motivation Affects Learning
Motivation has a direct impact on how an individual learns. The affects of motivation is normally far reaching because it increases an individual’s energy level, determines the persistence in reaching a specific goal, affects the types of learning techniques used and an individual’s thinking processes.
According to human development professionals, there are two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic is determined by the individual’s outside surrounding and specific tasks. Intrinsic motivation can be found within the individual since the task can be viewed as valuable. Therefore, when applying the affect that motivation has on the learning process, it is clear that people learn better based on the perceived value of the task, subject matter, personal goals, financial incentives and wide array of different factors.
Motivation can be increased or decreased based on many different factors. This is one of the reasons why instructors in any educational institution can have a substantial impact on their students learning, since they are a part of the student’s intrinsic motivation environment.
Some instructors are better at employing numerous positive motivation techniques and strategies than others. As a result, the students can obtain a sense of satisfaction from excelling in a class or they may receive low grades because they are demotivated.
For instance, if the instructor can explain to the students how a specific subject matter can relate to real life situations, the students are more likely to have a personal interest in learning what’s being presented to them. One of the best examples of real life value situations is the importance of learning math. Math instructors who know how to relay the value of knowing how to count one’s personal funds, will have a better chance at gaining the students interest and keeping them engaged at all times.
While some students are motivated by extrinsic factors, others may be motived purely by intrinsic factors. In these situations, the student may have a goal that they want to reach by a certain time. In order to accomplish their goals, the information that they learn is of great value to them.
For instance, if the student wants to be a physician or work in the medical field, they may be driven by it as an attainable goal. As a result, they may want to invest all of their free time in getting to the next level. If they want to get into the top Ivy League schools, they will also seek to achieve the highest grades. Whatever the individual’s motivation factor is, it is clear that motivation and learning will often go hand in hand.
Sometimes an individual motivation can be adversely affected. From past failures with certain subject matter to teachers who fostered an intimidating learning environment, adults and children may be demotivated because of numerous situations. Getting motivated again is often hard but it can be done.
Motivation has a great impact on the learning process. Motivation alone can determine if the person will pass or fail. While some people learn more by outside influences, others may achieve more by their personal aspirations. Whatever the situation, everyone involved in any learning process should know how motivation affects learning.
About The Author
