Dimension: Motivation to learn
Jutta Rump; Imke Buß; Janina Kaiser; Melanie Schiedhelm; Petra Schorat-Waly
"Learning motivation is generally understood as the willingness of a person to actively, more or less permanently and effectively engage with certain content areas in order to build up knowledge and improve their own skills" (Müller 2006, p. 39). Research into motivation and learning motivation has a long tradition. It deals with different forms of motivation (e.g. self-attribution and external attribution of success, control, performance goals), motivational processes (feelings, self-control) or the role of the social environment (Shah and Gardner 2008). Individual interesting approaches to motivation in higher education are summarized below, although these are not exhaustive due to the breadth of the field of research. In principle, students are more motivated if the learning outcome is worthwhile for them and they see its achievement as realistic: "(1) the more they value the outcome and (2) the more they expect to achieve it" (Fiske 2008, p. 9).
Among other things, achievement goal theories deal with the question of why some students are highly committed and others tend to avoid tasks that are difficult for them. The question of students' achievement motivation or commitment is relevant for many educators, as students sometimes differ greatly in this respect. Theories of achievement motivation (e.g. according to Atikson 1964) postulate that students review their performance in comparison to other fellow students (performance goals or achievement motive) or on the basis of normative standards (mastery goals or subject interest) (Senko et al. 2008, p. 100; Viebahn 2008, p. 73 ff.). An important difference in the motivation of learners therefore lies in the difference between the achievement motive and the subject interest or, in other words, in intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsically motivated students are primarily interested in gaining new knowledge and are interested in learning itself. It is important for these students to receive regular feedback on their skills development. Freedom for skills development in the course itself or through elective options enables these students to maintain their motivation and develop their skills in a self-directed manner (Viebahn 2008, p. 75; Pfäffli 2005).
Students who are extrinsically motivated or motivated by performance are less likely to associate the acquisition of skills with an interest in the subject. Rather, learning and studying serve a different goal (e.g. to enter a profession, gain social recognition, earn money). As the (successful) completion of examinations is important to them, they often ask "What is being tested?". In order for them to experience success, their studies should offer them subject-specific challenges and enable regular performance feedback (Viebahn 2008, p. 75). However, performance feedback is also highly relevant for primarily intrinsically motivated students. Another important area of motivation for studying is the ability self-concept, which includes aspects such as subjective competence, performance-related self-confidence, self-efficacy and expectations of success (more on this in Helmke and Schrader 2001). Students with a low ability self-concept require special support in order to build up reliable basic knowledge and self-confidence, at least in the initial phase, through structured, small-step instruction. If students are unable to build up self-efficacy, incentives and their own motivation cannot have an effect.
Literature
Atikson, J. W. (1964): An introduction to motivation. Princeton, New York: Van Nostrand.
Fiske, S. (2008): Core Social Motivations. In: J. Shah and W. Gardner (eds.): Handbook of Motivation Science. New York: Guilford Press.
Helmke; Schrader (2001): Determinants of school performance. In: Rost (ed.): Handwörterbuch Pädagogische Psychologie, 81-91: Psychologie Verlag Union.
Müller, F. (2006): Interest and learning. In: REPORT 1/2006 (29). Available online at www.die-bonn.de/id/3340, last checked on 13.12.2015.
Pfäffli, B. (2005): Education at universities. University didactics for the development of knowledge and skills. Bern, Stuttgart, Vienna: Haupt Verlag.
Senko et al. (2008): Historical Perspectives and New Directions in the Achievement Goal Theory: Understanding the Effects of Mastery and Performance-Approach Goals. In: J. Shah and W. Gardner (eds.): Handbook of Motivation Science. New York: Guilford Press.
Viebahn, P. (2008): Lernverschiedenheit und soziale Vielfalt im Studium: Differielle Hochschuldidaktik aus psychologischer Sicht. Bielefeld: UVW Webler.
Citation
Rump, Jutta; Buß, Imke; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra (2017): Dimension: motivation to learn. In: Rump, Jutta; Buß, Imke; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra: Toolbox for good education in a diverse student body. Working Papers of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, No. 6. www. hwg-lu.de/arbeitspapiere
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