Other Ways Other than Formal Schooling for Learning Core Subjects

Margaret Heffernan once said, “For good ideas and true innovation, you need a mix of human interaction, conflict, argument, and debate.” In the article it is debated if there is any benefit in monetary rewards for students. Teachers, and parents alike are always trying to find the best way to reward and inspire there students to do well in school. Matthew G Springer is a professor of Public Policy and Education at Vanderbilt University. He is also the director of the National Center on Performance Incentives. He wrote this article to display his research and studies.

Engaging students in the classroom can be a difficult task. Understanding the process of how students learn can help a teacher adapt the lesson to meet the needs of all students. I will encounter students that are not intrinsically motivated so I will need to find different ways to motivate each and every student. Understanding how my students learn can provide me with insights as to how to help each student learn which will minimize classroom management problems.

Following the introduction of the whole school behaviour policy, it was also made compulsory for schools to include a system of rewards and sanctions (Elton, 1989, Steer, 2005; DFE, 2014; Payne, 2015). Within school X it was found that this system was based on the behaviourist principles of Skinners (1974) theory. The use of rewards and sanctions in school X consisted of positively reinforcing desirable behaviours and correcting negative behaviour through sanctions. The behavioural theory underlines that by reinforcing a particular behaviour, children will repeat it as they begin to associate rewards with a particular behaviour (Skinner, 1974; Morgan, 2009; Rogers, 2011a). For example it was observed that when a child was positively praised for helping others, the teacher would reward the child by awarding a dojo. A dojo is used as a form of praise which amounts to a score at the end of the week based on how many dojos a child receives. This will then feed on to the merit card and sticker system enabling children to be rewarded by prizes. Consequently children were able to make associations between the desired behaviour and its outcome. This is therefore identified as a form of extrinsic motivation (Roffey and O’ Reirdan, 2001; Payne, 2015).

At this young age, it is recommended that criterion specific rewards be used to motivate Doug and increase the frequency of positive behaviors in the classroom (Curran & the IRIS Center, 2003). Criterion specific rewards are incentives that are customized to individual students and based on what motivates them (Curran & the IRIS Center, 2003). Initially, it is necessary to identify what motivates the student and proceed to utilize that information to create

The praise would come because students were utilizing all their materials, helping each other, and answering questions correctly. These are examples of secondary reinforcers and were more apparent in the classroom; however, there was evidence of a primary reinforcer like security and warmth. Julie would greet the students everyday and provided a warm environment. There were some students that needed more attention than others and Julie was sure to give it to them. The reinforcement was also helpful when it came to motivating the students because they felt secure in this environment and because there was secondary reinforcement such as praise, they were ready to learn and participate. Students can use this reinforcement to create their own motivation. John Marshall Reeve (2013) writes,

Motivation can be defined as the desire or inspiration to carry out specific tasks or to do something. Motivation is required when goals are being set and more so in their execution. In a work setting, motivation can be defined as a process through which individuals choose between alternative forms of behavior with the aim of achieving personal objectives. The goals sought by individuals can be extrinsic or relatively tangible such as monetary rewards and promotion, or intrinsic or intangible such as self esteem or job satisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). In learning, the desire to attain good grades is what motivates a student to study hard everyday as they prepare for the exam. On the other hand, for a teacher to put his best foot forward, he

This type of motivation is influenced heavily by rewards and external incentives. It also implies the notion that “I have to do something” in order to be compliant with what someone else wants me to do. It is a motivation that is primarily influenced by the hope of attaining tangible items such as prizes, special privileges, or money. Although Drive implies the heavy use of Motivation 2.0 by the corporate world, Pink also draws attention to the fact that schools typically operate under this mode, as well, and that it can have detrimental effects on our students and on learning, in general. Motivation 2.0 is also referred to in the book as the “Carrots and Sticks Approach”, and although it may yield positive results in the short-term, the repeated or incorrect use of extrinsic rewards can actually work against what educators are trying to achieve in terms of truly motivating their students.

Learning the correct type of praise and feedback to give children is essential to developing the best mindset. The idea of this theory is to changes people’s mindset in such a way that will teach them learning is not a fixed trait. In order to accomplish this, the study suggests reinforcing positive feedback regardless of the outcome. It is also

A major factor in performance is the student's attitude. A group of students in Louisiana were offered cash incentives. The teachers automatically saw a difference. Many of the students easily attained a C average, and physiologically improved. They also began reporting positive feelings about themselves and their goals. As a student at Bailey Middle School I totally agree with that. When I ace a test or pass an exam, I feel like I have earned something. My parents reward me with some cash which makes me want to do phenomenal again. Having students have this feeling will make them carry out more, and makes them more

Providing specific praise can help a student with their learning and using critical thinking skills they did not know they had. Students do not always have to receive a prize or treat in order to give them praise for a job well done. Providing students with verbal feedback and praise on the tasks at-hand can be very beneficial to their personal academics. This paper will discuss three questions on feedback and praise along with explanation of my thinking and reasoning for them.

Appreciating: Children need encouragement and positive reinforcement from their teachers. A teacher should be well aware of strengths and weaknesses of her students; she should recognize their small accomplishments and individual responses should be provided by the teacher. Teachers who acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of their students they instill appropriate positive behaviours in children. Gordon (1996) gives the following advice for the use of rewards: ● reward appropriate behaviour as soon as

“Praise is a powerful motivating tool because it allows the teacher to selectively encourage different aspects of student production or output. For example, the teacher may use praise to boost the student's performance, praising effort, accuracy, or speed on an assignment.” ("Teacher Praise: An Efficient Tool to Motivate Students | Intervention Central", 2010) When given students praise it can change

Educational researchers are continuously developing a myriad of strategies and techniques to increase the growth of successful students. Teachers are made to attend yearly workshops and seminars enlightening them on the newly discovered methods of discipline that promise to yield the desired pupils. Many of these methods foster stringent classroom education and regulation, that create an environment of intimidation and fear-driven submission. However, educators with these stern class structures are shown to produce bleak improvements in academic achievement. Contrary to popular belief, the arguably most powerful method of teaching is accompanied with positive reinforcement opposed to popular draconian initiative. Positive reinforcement focuses on recognizing and rewarding the strengths of students instead of bringing attention and punishing the weaknesses. Creating an encouraging surrounding for students, using positive reinforcement, establishes the motivation and engagement necessary for students to flourish behaviorally and academically.

Reinforcements are meant to strengthen an object, but they can either evoke a positive effect or even a negative effect. A classroom example of a positive reinforcement would be praising or rewarding a student with a prize for their exceptional performance in order to provoke the student in continuing this behavior. However, a classroom example of negative reinforcement would be threatening to call parents if a desired grade is not obtained. While contacting parents might be necessary at times, using intimidating tactics to improve student’s work studies is not a constructive way to achieve those results. Reinforcements should encourage students in an effective and inspired manner.

A theory that supports motivation is the self determination theory. In the self determination theory people need to grow and gain fulfillment by a drive in them. Self Determination is the process of deciding how to act on ones environment. When one is trying to overcome a challenge or encountering a new experience a person wants to gain the knowledge to succeed over the new challenge. When self determination theory is in focus internal factors are at play; a person is primarily focused on the need to gain knowledge or independence. There are three factors that contribute to a student’s self determination and the needs are linked to the student’s