Motivation

Theories of Motivation that Apply to Me

The goal theory of motivation is one that applies to me. The goals that I set for myself motivate me to accomplish various tasks. I have general goals such as becoming the perfect teacher and pulling off my my upcoming wedding without a hitch. I also have more specific goals that will eventually lead me to reach my general goals. Examples of these would be writing a six page paper or ordering wedding invitations by the end of the week. If I did not set these specific goals, I might never be able to reach my overall goals.

In class we discussed that specific goals are the most effective at motivating students. This is the case for me. Specific goals are more likely to be accomplished because they are more easily defined. The obscure and general goals are harder to check off the list and say they are done. How can I say I have finally become the perfect teacher when there is always room for improvement? I will never be able to check that goal off my list.

We also said that short-term goals are better motivation than long-term. I believe this is because the pressure to accomplish the goal on time. For example when I first got engaged, I knew that I had a year to plan my wedding. I looked for inspiration to get an idea of what I wanted, but I did not go out and buy or reserve anything because I thought I had plenty of time. But now the wedding is only four months away, and I'm beginning to feel the pressure and stress of running out of time. This motivates me to start renting chairs, ordering invitations, and booking a photographer.

We also discussed performance goals verses learning goals. It was said that performance goals are better motivation for students with more confidence, and learning goals are better for students with low self-efficacy. Performance goals work better for me because I like to see what I have accomplished. It is nice to achieve a learning goal, but I would also like to see how I can apply what I learned.

How the Goal Theory Can Apply to Your Students

Now how can I apply what I know about the goal theory of motivation to my future students?  I would use this in planning assignments. I would break up larger assignments into parts. For example if I wanted my students to write a paper, I would make different due dates for the outline, the introduction paragraph, the body, and the conclusion instead of just having them turn in one paper. I would also try to set more learning goals for my students who are struggling and may feel that they are unable to improve their circumstances.

Achievement Goal Theory Motivation Video

This link goes to a presentation video for a class at the University of Central Missouri. It goes more in depth in the goal theory to motivation and has a lot of information presented in our textbook.