Motivation keeps individuals alive. Every great accomplishment starts with the first step to try. Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Attribution Theory
An important assumption of attribution theory is that people will interpret their environment in such a way as to maintain a positive self-image. That is, they will attribute their successes or failures to factors that will enable them to feel as good as possible about themselves. In general, this means that when learners succeed at an academic task, they are likely to want to attribute this success to their own efforts or abilities; but when they fail, they will want to attribute their failure to factors over which they have no control, such as bad teaching or bad luck.
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Effie!!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering how teachers can help students to avoid making failure attributions to uncontrollable factors. If the material taught is meaningful to the students, would the students then attribute both their failures and successes to themselves? Would they even have failures if the material was meaningful?
I remember my junior year of high school, in a history class, which I disliked, one day my teacher walked in dressed as Napoleon. While I may not remember exactly what her lesson was for the day, I was so impressed with her commitment to our class and the way her enthusiasm was soaking through her costume. She absolutely inspired me and I think she was one of the best teachers I had in high school.
I hope that through small acts of enthusiasm, we all as teachers can inspire our students to become life long learners who know how to avoid failure, and if failure does occur, they now how to motivate themselves to try again.
Effie-
ReplyDeleteFrom personal experience I notice the students who take more responsibility for their learning recognize their efforts and the time and work it takes to achieve a goal.
Jodie asked how can teachers and students avoid failure attributions. I personally think successful experiences are powerful and motivate students. Students who demonstrate low motivation and low self efficacy may need to experience and be provided with more successful experiences. The teacher may have to create small tasks for the student daily, but it will be worth it! I have a few students that show a lot of learned helplessness and low motivation. I create small, purposeful assignments, tasks etc. that are at students independent level verses their ZPD just so the student can experience the feeling of success. Then depending on the student I will eventually present harder tasks that will be more challenging an will involve more effort.
Mandy I also agree with you that positive experiences lead to high levels of self efficacy and motivation. I think that differentiating lessons and tasks for students will help create those positive experiences and then you can cater them to be more difficult and challenging depending on the students capabilities.
ReplyDeleteTaking responsibility for your own actions is something I think we as teachers need to instill in our students early on will help them later in life.
What about failure. Can't it be used to achieve success? And isn't that quite the accomplishment?
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