Jul 25 2008
An Appetite for Changing Practice
I just read a Superintendent’s in British Columbia’s blog in which he celebrated his faculty and staff for their “appetite for changing practice”. In his power point presentation to the school community it was his intention to tie student achievement across all data strains to the changing dynamic occurring in the school district and the show the response of teachers and staff to the needs of students. I am impressed.
Entering the new school year this September, as a participant in High Schools New Face (HSNF) and as team and member of the the Erie 2 CC Boces Wiki devoted to promulgating intra-departmetal use of web 2.0 technologies, I know that I will have to be the best culinary artist and epicurean, if I am going to develop an insatiable appetite amongst the teachers I work with for the embrace and appreciation of web technologies. I am slowly developing and forming a team of teachers who will assist our Center in bringing more teachers on board. The start of a blog in Social Studies that 3 content teachers can help support and build is a great foot mark.
Are there any other idea out there for me in the virtual school community, as I go down this path where some will be skeptical, others will reject and still others will be totally resistant to and shut down?
One response so far
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In response there might be something to be gleaned from a few definitions such that they might be applicable to the situation and circumstance:
Motivation is the reason or reasons for engaging in a particular behavior, especially human behavior as studied in psychology and neuropsychology. These reasons may include basic needs such as food or a desired object, hobbies, goal, state of being, or ideal. The motivation for a behavior may also be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism or morality.
According to Geen,[1] motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of human behavior.
Geen, R. (1994). Human motivation: A psychological approach. Wadsworth Publishing Education
Motivation is of particular interest because of the crucial role it plays in student learning. Motivation can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subject matter (Ormrod, 2003).
It can:
1. Direct behavior toward particular goals
2. Lead to increased effort and energy
3. Increase initiation of, and persistence in, activities
4. Enhance cognitive processing
5. Determine what consequences are reinforcing
6. Lead to improved performance.
Because students are not always internally motivated, they sometimes need situated motivation, which is found in environmental conditions that the teacher creates.
There are two kinds of motivation:
• Intrinsic motivation occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is significant.
• Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because of factors external to him or her (like money or good grades).
Note also that there is already questioning and expansion about this dichotomy on motivation, e.g., Self-Determination Theory.
NB Self-determination theory (SDT) is a general theory of human motivation concerned with the development and functioning of personality within social contexts. The theory focuses on the degree to which human behaviors are volitional or self-determined - that is, the degree to which people endorse their actions at the highest level of reflection and engage in the actions with a full sense of choice. Over the past three decades SDT has evolved into a set of four mini-theories that share the organismic-dialectical meta-theory and the concept of basic needs. Self-determination theory has been brought to many applied settings such as education, health care, parenting, work organizations, religion, addictions, sports, and mental health. The theory developed from psychological research done by Ed Deci, Richard M. Ryan, and their collaborators from around the world.
Motivation is also an important element in the concept of Andragogy (what motivates the adult learner).
Andragogy is the process of engaging adult learners in the structure of the learning experience. The term was originally used by Alexander Kapp (a German educator) in 1833, was developed into a theory of adult education by the American educator, Malcolm Knowles , (April 24, 1913 — November 27, 1997).
Knowles held that andragogy (from the Greek words meaning “man-leading”) should be distinguished from the more commonly used pedagogy (Greek: “child-leading”).
Knowles’ theory can be stated as four simple postulates:[1][2]
1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction (Self-concept and Motivation to learn).
2. Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities (Experience).
3. Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life (Readiness to learn).
4. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented (Orientation to learning).
Knowles’ work (most notably the book Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers, published in 1975) has been controversial. To some[citation needed], his proposed system states the obvious, to others[citation needed], he has merely proposed an adaptation of existing child-learning theories.
The term has been used by some[3] to allow a discussion of the difference between self directed and ‘taught’ education. However, even on this definition, education of young people, in modern practice, includes substantial utilization of self-directed approaches.
[References
1. ^ (nd) Andragogy (M. Knowles) Theory into Practice website. Retrieved 5/29/07.
2. ^ (nd) Andragogy Informal Education Encyclopedia. Retrieved 5/29/07.
3. ^ Hansman (2008) Adult Learning in Communities of Practice: Situating Theory in Practice