Week 5: Motivation

8 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCHeJZwCXCA&feature=youtu.be

My motivations for learning. How they have changed over time. They are more intrinsic then extrinsic. How will I use what I am learning in my job and daily life?

I did not understand the terms "performance-approach goals" or "performance-avoidant goals."

Question 1: What is the difference between performance-approach goals and performance-avoidant goals?

Performance-avoidance goals:  the desire to avoid performing poorly compared to others

·         Need to not fail

·         Person has low competency expectancies.

·         Associated with low interest and poor performance

·         Results in maladaptive learning strategies

Performance-approach goals: trying to outperform others.

·         Need for high achievement,

·         Person has high competency expectancies.

·         Associated with low interest and high performance

·         Results in some adaptive learning strategies

Both motivated by fear for failure or others judging one as incompetent

Good for superficial learning

Does not really help deep learning

Mastery goals vs performance goals

Mastery-oriented goals:

·         focus on learning

·         mastering the task according to self-set standards or self-improvement

·         developing new skills

·         improving or developing competence

·         trying to accomplish something challenging

·         trying to gain an understanding or insight

·         Result in persistence, challenge seeking, and positive attitudes towards learning

·         Deeper processing strategies

Question 2: As an instructor should you only aim for promoting mastery goals in your learners?

Encouraging Mastery goals = affects learners' interest in subject matter

Encouraging performance goals, specifically performance-approach goals = affects learners' final grade or score in a class

The need to use both. You need interest and achievement.

References:

Barrona, K.E., Harackiewicz, J.M., 2003, Revisiting the benefits of performance-approach goals in the college classroom: exploring the role of goals in advanced college courses, International Journal of Educational Research 39, p. 357–374

Darnon, C., Harackiewicz, J.M., Butera, F., Mugny, G., Quiamzade, A., 2007, Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Goals: When Uncertainty Makes a Difference, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,6, 33, p. 813-827

http://study.com/academy/lesson/goal-orientation-theory-how-goals-affect-student-motivation-behavior.html

http://www.wou.edu/~girodm/100/mastery_vs_performance_goals.pdf