Intrinsic Motivation
Greg Dixon, Director of Business Development
Thursday, Oct 10, 2024 – 3 min read
I was motivated to complete my homework in grade three purely because my Nana paid me $0.25 per day to do so.
There you have it! A complete admission of my motivation to work on homework during my early elementary years. My motivation was certainly not intrinsic; however, as an educational leader, my experience has led me to believe that our role is to develop intrinsic motivation in our students, from toddler onwards.
Intrinsic motivation is a term used to describe “the incentive we feel to complete a task simply because we find it interesting or enjoyable.” (https://hbr.org/2023/03/understand-the-power-of-intrinsic-motivation) On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is defined as “what we feel when we complete a task for some external reward.” In short, intrinsic motivation allows us to perform at our very best.
The Impact of Rewards in a Classroom
Stickers, snacks, and even a prize box has been utilized to ‘control’ behaviour in our early childhood and elementary classrooms for decades. Mostly well intended, it usually started with motivating children to follow directions, participate in class, and engage in pro-social behaviours.
Think about your own childhood and of occasions when you received a reward from an adult. Let me walk you through an example from Dr. Jane Nelson. (https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/avoid-rewards-classroom)
The first day of school, Dexter was having a difficult time, but he got a sticker because it was the first day.
The second day, he did not get a sticker.
The next two days, he earned his stickers, but for the two days afterwards, he continued to have difficulties.
Every morning, on the drive to school, Dexter’s mom spoke to him about what he needed to do to have a successful day. She followed up with, “I believe you will make good choices today.”
On the last day that he didn’t receive a sticker, his mom asked him, “Is it important that you receive a sticker from your teachers?”. He paused and looked her in the eyes and said, “Well, it’s important to the teachers.”
Tips
Once the reward loses its shine, the behaviours motivated by the reward also diminishes. Help students by sharing with them their behavioural impact on others whom they consider to be friends. Give them opportunities to lead or involve them in more challenging work to keep their mind active and body moving.
Recommended Reading: Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes, explains how incentives can seem to work in the short run, but that the strategy ultimately fails and can even cause lasting harm.
The Power of Words
“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.”
~ Yehuda Berg
Think back to the first time a child proudly showed you their drawing or tied their shoelaces on their own. Often, our immediate response is, “I’m so proud of you!” or “What a beautiful drawing; great job!”
While these words come from a place of encouragement, research suggests that constant praise can sometimes lead to unintended effects. Joan Grusec, a retired researcher at the University of Toronto, found that young children who were frequently praised for their acts of generosity tended to be slightly less generous over time compared to their peers.
Why does this happen? Every time children hear, “Good job!” or “Well done!” their actions can shift from being valued for their intrinsic worth to something done purely for the approval of others. Instead of fostering internal motivation, we may inadvertently teach children to seek external validation. By focusing too much on praise, we risk turning children into “praise seekers,” robbing them of the satisfaction that comes from understanding the value of their own actions.
As educators, it’s important to strike a balance. Rather than doling out praise for every accomplishment, we can help children find meaning and fulfillment in what they do, encouraging them to recognize the joy and importance of their actions for their own sake—not simply for a pat on the back.