1. FROM CARROTS, CROWBARS,
AND CANDY TO OPTI ONS,
OPPORTUNI TI ES, AND
OWNERSHI P: MOTI VATI ON
AND ENGAGEMENT I N THE
CLASSROOM
MAASFEP
Fall, 2013
http://jmplucker.blogspot.com

2. Learning Targets
 We can consider how motivation and
engagement research can be counter-intuitive.
 We can gain exposure to five principles of
engagement.
 We can consider what we do well, places we
can adjust to implement Principle 1: Meaning
and Mastery is Motivating in our classrooms.

4. to handle or direct
to make compliant
to alter for a purpose
Manage

5. Engage

6. Guiding Principles
1. Meaning and Mastery are
Motivating
2. Learning is Social
3. Self-Efficacy
4. Interest/Relevance
5. Control and Choice
Adapted from J.T. Guthrie (2008)

7. Meaning and Mastery are
Motivating

8. Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery
are Motivating
 Have you ever offered incentives in class to
produce a desired outcome?
 Candy for quiet reading time
 Games on Friday
 What incentivized programs have you
experienced?
 Health club discounts

9. Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are Motivating

10. Special circumstances where “carrots” won’t hurt, and
might help.
If assignment doesn’t inspire deep passion or
require deep thinking, rewards can help. BUT:
 Offer a rationale as to why the task is
necessary.
 Acknowledge that the task is boring.
 Allow students to complete the task their own
way.
Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are Motivating

11. Essential Requirement for Extrinsic Rewards
“Any extrinsic reward should be unexpected
and offered only after the task is
complete. In other words, where ‘if-then’
rewards are a mistake, shift to ‘now that’
rewards.”
(Pink, 2009, p.
66)
Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are Motivating

12. What is motivating our students?
 Show good behavior
 Complete an assignment
 Extrinsic rewards
 get a good grade
 Outperform others
 Look smarter
 Understanding text—not
important
 Understanding is most
important
 Argue, analyze, debate,
explain, organize,
connect, defend,
conclude…
 Not isolated, connected
to “big picture”
 Short or long-term
Performance Goals Mastery Goals
Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are Motivating

13. Mindse t
“After seven experiments with hundreds of children, we had some of the clearest findings I’ve ever seen:
Praising children’s intelligence harms their motivation and it harms their performance.” by Carol Dweck

15. 7 Practices of Mastery Motivation
1. Provide mastery goals
2. Make tasks relevant
 Relevance vs. Entertainment
1. Use hands-on activities
2. Transform text to meaning
3. Scaffold mastery motivation
4. Provide re-teach opportunities
5. Reward effort over performance
Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are Motivating

16. Turn and Talk
 Share with a neighbor your reflections on what
you’ve just heard or ideas about how to apply
Principle #1: Meaning and Mastery are
Motivating.

17. Learning is Social

18. “I Can because I think I Can” (Self-Efficacy)

19. Interest/Relevance

20. Control and Choice