Motivational Strategy Guidelines Based On Self-Efficacy Essay -- Social

Purpose of this paper The purpose of this paper is three-fold: First, to examine briefly Social Cognitive Theory’s view on the contribution of self-efficacy to learning and motivation; Then, to offer some guidelines for motivational strategies reflecting self-efficacy concepts that have been supported by research; Finally, to provide some possible ways to implement these guidelines in a mathematics class. Introduction Within us all is a desire to achieve. The need exists to show, to ourselves and to others, that we are capable in some area; that we are able to perform difficult tasks, acquire knowledge that no one else knows, run faster, jump higher, and live up to some perceived potential unique to us as individuals. This goal to achieve is evident in young children, manifesting itself early and continuing at some level throughout the school years and on into adulthood. Of particular interest and importance to me as a teacher are contributing factors to students’ motivation to achieve, and motivational strategies that can increase the likelihood of student achievement. At this point, let me state the obvious: Studying motivation is somewhat difficult, because motivation is subjective. Motivation is not directly observable. It must be inferred from student behavior. Also, behavior patterns exhibited by students may have similar surface attributes, but could arise from entirely different motivations (Good, Brophy, 1995). Student motivation is affected by many variables including past experience, peers, home life, classroom and school expectations, and teacher behavior. This adds to the complexity of studying motivation, and adds to the difficulty teachers face when addressing issues relevant to promoting st... ...03). My Current Understanding of Understanding Mathematics, paper submitted for MAT 791. Snowman, J. & Biehler, R. (2000). Psychology Applied to Teaching. 9th Edition. Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Company. Urdan, T. Midgley, C., & Anderman, E. M. (1998), The role of classroom goal structure in students’ use of self-handicapping stragtegies, American Education Research Journal, 35(1), 101-122. Online sources and suggestions: www.analytictech.com/mbo21/motivation.htm. www.cartwright.k12.az.us/Math/Resources/cooperat.html (Cooperative Learning Suggestions). www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/BanEncy.html (Self-Efficacy by Albert Bandura). www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/effpage.html (An excellent resource for information and links on SCT and self-efficacy). www.fiu.edu/~cryan/selfefficacy/MotivationandOpportunity.htm. www.med.usf.edu/~kmbrown/Social_