Motivation comes from within
I have found it interesting as I am in the classroom, the diversity of students. I have observed behaviors that I am quite intrigued with regarding the motivation and interest between students according to their age. I have observed students’ texting on their cell phone, reading a book for leisure, talking to the student next to them and these activities are going on during lecture! An example that comes to my mind is in one of my classes. I am the only student who asks questions. It is an awkward feeling because now the instructor automatically looks at me when she asks, “Does anyone have questions from the homework?” I wonder if I am the only student who has questions on material that is taught or are some of the other students just not interested.
I am also interested in whether difference in age, young versus older adults in college, makes a difference in the desire to be motivated and interested in learning. Through my observation I have encountered that more of the young adult students tend to be in my opinion not focused on learning because they are engaged in other distractions. Could it be that now in a very technical world, they are just accustomed to multitasking and are obtaining material from class, or are they not interested? Being an older student I feel a need to be attentive, engaging in listening, writing and observing every note written on the board. I even record lectures in each class to refer to later for clarification of my handwritten notes. Is it because I haven’t been in a learning environment in a long time? However, I do know personally I am motivated and determined to succeed with my education. My past life experiences have made me recognize that education is important for one’s future and that lifelong learning makes one more worldly. Though education as an older adult is more challenging due to familial and financial responsibilities, I find education exciting giving me hope for a brighter future.
My research includes the intrinsic motivation which are factors that come from within an individual such as self discipline and desire to achieve goals and extrinsic motivation which are external factors that motivate an individual to do well such as a reward like money or grades. The studies are compared with that of traditional and nontraditional undergraduate students. The 300 undergraduates in the study were between 18 to 60 years of age. The studies concluded that nontraditional students, defined as a student 25 years old or older with familial and financial responsibilities, displayed higher levels of intrinsic motivation meaning motivation that comes from within, than traditional students. Though the study shows higher levels intrinsic motivation of nontraditional students, all students showed that positive affect determines the level of intrinsic motivation and interest. Positive affect did not direct a necessary outcome of learning for the older adult student but more so a desired motivation to learn whereas with younger students is more independently intrinsic.
Extrinsic motivation is defined as motivation coming from being rewarded, such as money encouraging a student to succeed. In the study, levels were similar in all students but the types of extrinsic motivation varied. For instance, extracurricular social or financial stressors made extrinsic motivation factors more relevant for nontraditional students.
I also found it very interesting that emphasis on reinforcing intrinsic motivation in the diverse classroom will lead to greater levels of positive affect. This leads to persistence in academic goals. Older students may be given special attention by instructors to encourage competence of academic material and validating the student as an active participant in the learning experience. This makes learning more enjoyable. I believe this to be accurate, because all of my instructors have been very supportive in my desire to learn. Do I on the other hand, think the instructors give special attention to just nontraditional students? From my experience I have not felt that I was a “special case” by any instructor, I see the instructors in my classes giving equal attention to all students who are willing to learn. With that said, teachers can create conditions within the classroom such as respect and social support along with some humor which nurtures the nontraditional student toward academic success.
In conclusion, students with greater levels of interest are eagerly engaged in seeking knowledge and this is what leads to lifelong learning. Being self motivated whether you are a younger or older student is the key to being successful in their academic goals.
Works Cited
Bye, D. P., et al. (2007). Motivation, interest, and positive affect in traditional and nontraditional undergraduate students. Adult Education Quarterly, 57(2), 141-158. Retrieved October 22, 2010 from Academic Search Complete database.
Image retrieved November 19, 2010 from Google images, WWW. http://www.teachersatrisk.com/2008/10/20/nuturing-intrinsic-motivation-in-your-students/
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