How Teachers Behaviour Influences Students Motivation to Learn

¬¬Research Paper

On

"How Teachers' behavior and teaching style influence students' motivation to learn"

1. Introduction

Motivation plays an important role in getting what you desire. It is important to be motivated for successful accomplishment of your goals. Students' learning motivation plays an important role in helping them get what they desire with respect to their educational career.

Motivation is any sort of driving force that helps anyone achieve predetermined goals (Motivation, n.d.). Supporting this it is also described that Motivation is a wish to attain defined objectives along with the efforts put towards the achievements of those objectives (what is motivation, n.d.).

Students' learning motivation being a bit different phenomenon states that it deals with finding out and emphasizing on the importance, value and significance of academic tasks by the learners or students.

Coming towards Positive motivation, it is asserted that it is a reaction consisting of enjoyment and optimism about the work or study you are involved in. Negative motivation is that you have to fulfill the task under any circumstances, even if you do not desire, in order to avoid the unwanted results you would have to face if you do not complete the task. Both positive and negative motivations are experienced by the students and both are very important and worth considering in relevant circumstances (what is motivation, n.d.).

Besides positive and negative motivation, two other types of motivation i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic are also explained:

Intrinsic motivation is when you are internally or self motivated. It is said that intrinsic motivation is when the enjoyment or involvement in tasks becomes the driving force (Motivation, n.d.). We can also say that intrinsic motivation is when you are driven by internal motivational forces (Intrinsic Motivation, n.d.).

Students, when intrinsically motivated usually:

* Relate the academic success to the internal factors over which they have control (amount of efforts put by them).

* Believe that they can effectively achieve the wanted results (do not believe in luck).

* Want to have complete grip on their topic, do not just study to get good grades.

(Motivation. n.d.).

Extrinsic motivation comes from external sources i.e. rewards e.g. money, grades, threat for punishment etc. that lead to make the students courageous to outperform and beat others (Motivation, n.d.). Banbridge (n.d.) stated this thing bit differently in a manner that students who are motivated extrinsically may or may not find an interest in the task, they want to have assured rewards. These rewards can be as minor as smile or as major as recognition.

Talking about motivated students it is asserted that they are enthusiastic about learning their courses and new things, they show interest and find purpose in studies and keep up their energies. They have a desire to go with the course and studies and complete all the requirements of that course and study (what is motivation, n.d.).

Different factors influence the students' motivation level including:

* Environmental factors e.g. cleanliness, climate, and surrounding conditions

* Mood

* Level of interest

* Teachers' behavior

* Environment of class room etc.

Along with all the other factors, teachers' behavior also plays a pivotal role in creating, enhancing and maintaining the motivation level of students. Students normally expect from teachers to increase their motivation level. Teachers should adopt different techniques to enhance the motivation level of students towards learning. Although students are naturally enthusiastic about learning particular course but they need specific driving force to pull them and this force is normally provided by the teachers in number of ways. Davis (1993) asserted that class behavior and teaching style of teachers are the key factors that can motivate students to learn. He also said that following aspects regarding class behavior of teachers enhance students' motivation to learn:

* Provide more frequent and in time feedback.

* Make students find personal means in the course.

* Create open, interactive, participative learning class environment.

* Let students feel to be an important member of the environment etc.

The key focus of this research is to explore one of the vital issues i.e. "teachers' behavior and teaching style" that influences the students' motivation to learn. Literature contains the importance and analysis of different factors, on the part of teachers, that are the cause of changing the motivation level of students towards learning. The purpose of current research is to explore the importance of implementation or avoidance of different techniques by teachers that can help them to enhance the learning capacity of their students by motivating them.

2. Research Objectives

o To find out and analyze various factors, on the part of teachers, which greatly affect students' learning motivation.

o To explore and suggest best implementable techniques to be used by teachers that will cause an increase in students' motivation to learn.

o To recommend such techniques to teachers, so as to effectively create and enhance the students' motivation to learn and achieve their academic goals.

3. General Literature Review

Students' motivation is all about what they desire to express during learning. Sometime students are more motivated and sometime they are not because their source of motivation can be different. Lens and Ulrich (n.d.) asserted that motivation, being a vital phenomenon, foretells the academic future of students. They cited Johnson (2008) describing motivation to be fixed with the student's commitment, engagement and fortitude to accomplish academic work. He further asserted that the commitment and motivation can be increased by collaborative learning rather than mere teaching via lectures.

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