Putting the Student in the Center: Motivating Interest through Student Relevancy

1 " We have not yet seen what man can make of man. " – B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom & Dignity INTRODUCTION Cognitive learning theories, no matter how perfectly realized in classroom instructional design, have been of little effect when students' interests were not addressed. Without curiosity, an impenetrable wall existed between the student and teacher that was only breached with the strictest of behavioral control paradigms. Students strove to meet minimal goals and achieved little if any self-valued learning when taught in rigidly controlled settings without proper motivation. Students enter the classroom with a diverse set of expectancies of purpose and function for their learning that determine their performance and achievement. These beliefs are based on self-concepts related to their own abilities and the success outcomes they foresee (Bandura, 1977, p. 193). They are also determined by the amount and type of control the students feel in their own learning. Sixteen years before publishing Method in Science Teaching, John Dewey discussed connecting the results of psychology to the practice of educating (1900, p. 108). He stressed that students are denied the power and control needed for true learning when the teacher chooses problems and materials, sets student goals, and gives ready-made solutions disallowing student experimentation. Thus over one hundred years ago, the value of the students' own interests and explorations was seen as essential for instruction. 2 Purpose of Study Students who are unmotivated to learn tend to create the largest classroom disruptions. A teacher may react to these individuals with changes in behavioral strategies by increasing reinforcement of desired behavior, punishing poor behavior and, where the class as a whole is concerned, strive for tighter control through alternate classroom management strategies. However, this will fail to respond to the students' true cognitive requirements. At best this practice will lead to a stifling, rigid classroom devoid of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is described as the enjoyment of learning for its own sake in which interest is a key component. There may be emotional roots impacting intrinsic motivation that stem from early childhood experiences (Myers, 2001, p. 451). However, current models of motivation point to cognitive processes as yielding the best description. Theories on self-efficacy, control and attribution all supply significant predictions for raising intrinsic motivation in the classroom. Raising student interest by increasing the relevance students feel toward their studies is one such prediction. Instructional material and activities …