L16 - Positive Motivational Factors in Schools Flashcards
What were Singapore’s Schools’ characteristics?
more standards
more homework
more emphasis on math and science
longer days & year
high stakes testing
highly value teaching as a profession
Improving our Schools
US Trends (KIPP school example)
- more standards
- more homework
- more emphasis on math & science
- more classes for gifted
- longer days and year
- uniforms
- merit pay for teachers
- pay for students
Finland Currently
- Age 7 school starts
- Same teacher for 3 years
- No grades until age 12
- No gifted classes
- No uniforms
- Teacher by first name
- No special prizes, awards, money for teachers nor students
- Recess every hour
What can teachers do to help children maintain their intrinsic motivation?
Encourage cooperation
Support autonomy
- why is this interesting?
- how is this personally meaningful and relevant to me?
Describe Johnson and Johnson’s 3 goal structures in competition and school outcomes (1999)
Competition: people attain their goals only if others do not
Cooperative: people attain their goals only when others do also
Individualism: people attain their goals without affecting the goal attainment of others
Describe Johnson & Johnson’s review on 200 studies
(what is cooperation associated with?)
Cooperation is associated with:
- greater intrinsic motivation
- greater mastery of principles and concepts
- greater development of communication skills
- better attitudes toward teachers and schools
- better attitudes toward classmates, including opposite-sex and minorities
- higher self-esteem and mental health
Describe the Radio Canada analysis
The Finnish system places the emphasis on collective work, where students work together on projects that have practical aspects to them
Studnets are asked to master and evaluate themselves as they learn
The teacher does not grade the student, but this does not prevent him from following the students progress very closely and providing feedback daily
How does autonomy support work in a school setting?
attunement: taking perspective of the student and using student interest and input to guide teaching
Finnish Science Class example
What is NOT autonomy support?
Rewards (symbolic and tangible)
Praise
Threats
Competitions (informational vs. controlling)
Surveillance
Dealines
Evaluation
Imposed Goals
Describe Deci’s field study on the impact of teacher style (1981)
Large sample of public schools
Measured teacher’s regulatory style and students’ intrinsic motivation in October and May
Teacher Self-Regulation scale:
- the Ranger spelling group has been having trouble all year. How could Miss Wilson best help the Rangers?
– Make them drill more and givem them special privileges for improvements
– Have regular spelling bees so that Rangers will be motivated to do as well as the other groups
– Have each child keep a spelling chart and emphasize how important it is to have a good chart
OR
– help the group devise ways of leanring the words together (skits, games, and so on)?
Correlations with Teacher Autonomy Suuport
- OCTOBER
– Intrinsic motivation: .44
– Cognitive competence: .29
– General self-worth: .36
- MAY
– Intrinsic motivation: .34
– Cognitive competence: .43
– General self-worth: .40
What signifies control rather than autononmy support?
CNN gymnastics film shown in class
Reeve’s (2002) perspective:
- easier to identify wrong behaviours
What are behavioural indicators of controlling support vs. autonomy support in the context of school?
(of teachers)
CONTROLLING
- emphasize evaluation
- emphasize high standards
- direct and give answers
- emphasize competition
AUTONOMY
- listened more
- encourage conversations
- allocated time for independent work
- show interest in what they are learning
Describe autonomy support in Finland
“Finnish teachers pick books and customize lessons as they shape students to national standards. In most countries, education feels like a car factory. In Finland, the teachers are the entrepreneurs”
What are some methods to do better for our school systems?
cooperative classroom structures
autonomy support for both students and teachers
- part of this is making material personally meaningful and relevant
What does Finland say about their way of thinking about their education system?
Finland’s schools were once the envy of the world. Now they’re slipping
“The Finnish way of thinking is that the best response is not to raise standards or to increase instruction time (or homework) but to mae school a more interesting and enjoyable place for all
Raising students’ motivation to learn and their well-being in general are the main goals of our current education policy”
How is Singapore changing toward Finland?
Reduce “drill and kill” approach
Phase out exams in grades 1 and 2
Promote life-long learning
“We want to spark curiosity and enquiry while developing values and 21st century skills prioritising learners and personalised learning to make a better world”
