Motivation and Education

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Introduction
Motivation is a key element of education and
plays a crucial role in the success and
enjoyment of the learning process for
individual students. There are many factors,
which influence motivation, some positive and
some negative.
What is Motivation?
The term “motivation” refers to the reason for
someone to take action. The reason may be
intrinsic or extrinsic.
1
Individuals are generally motivated
intrinsically, when they do something that they
enjoy. A person, who enjoys reading
biographies, for example, may read of their
own volition.
Extrinsic motivation occurs, when an
individual takes action to satisfy an external
influence. A student may read a novel to
satisfy the requirements of a course, for
example, but not actually enjoy reading the
novel.
Understanding Motivation
Educators need to find a balance between
intrinsic factors of motivation and extrinsic
factors. It would be difficult to find students
that are continuously motivated to complete
structured courses. Each student is more
likely to enjoy some parts of a course more
than other parts.
Students may identify with an external goal
and complete part of their program of study for
that purpose, such as the completion of a
recognised tertiary qualification. The student
needs to believe that the study will lead to a
desirable result and that they possess the
competence to complete the tasks, otherwise
the student may take a more negative attitude
to motivation.
Motivation Theories
There are several theories of motivation, such
as those that focus on the educational goals
of students.
2
 The achievement goal theory
explores both the social and cognitive factors
that influence a student’s attempts to either
perform well or engage in work avoidance.
A student that participates in academic activity
in an attempt to perform better or to become
more competent may be regarded as having a
mastery goal orientation. The student will
measure success by the level of personal
understanding or competence at the task.
Performance goals are educational goals that
are generally measured against external
criteria. These include normative standards,
such as grades and the ranking of
performance relative to other students.
Students with work avoidance orientation may
act as if they are incompetent so that they will
have an excuse to disengage from the tasks.
Similarly students may ask unnecessary
questions in an attempt to delay participation
in academic activity or seek assistance, which
will reduce the requirements for their personal
cognitive engagement.
Social motivation may complement or conflict
with a student’s academic goals, cognitive
engagement and academic accomplishment.
Groups of students may provide mutual
support, when engaging in academic activity.
More capable students may provide
assistance to students that need help with
particular tasks. Students may also complete
work so that they will not “let the team down”.
This type of interaction may give students
more confidence because they continue to
have social acceptance within their group of
peers.
Implications
Education will continue to benefit from further
research into the characteristics of motivation.
The competing influences on students need
greater understanding, such as the selfefficacy of individual students and the effect of
social orientations.
                                          
1
 R.M. Ryan and E.L. Deci, Intrinsic and Extrinsic
Motivations: Classic Definitions and New
Directions, Contemporary Educational Psychology
25, 54-67 (2000)
2
 M. Dowson and D.M. McInerney, Psychological
Parameters of Students’ Social and Work
Avoidance Goals: A Qualitative Investigation,
Journal of Educational Psychology, 2001, Vol. 93,
No. 1, 35-42
Motivation and Education