Motivation Case Overview
For the context of this motivation case analysis, I have chosen to analyze myself in terms of my level of motivation and ways in which I can improve it, consequently improving the motivation and academic outcomes of my students. After analyzing my case through the lens of social cognitive theory and self-determination theory (SDT), I have determined that I have a lack of self-efficacy for completing tasks and engaging with students who require help. I also have poor stress management, as the pressures of completing classroom tasks and day-to-day education administrative work diminishes my motivation to teach and engage. Therefore, I have chosen to revise my own personal learning goals to increase self-efficacy and coping mechanisms for stress. By using a theoretical approach based on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as recent scholarly research on high expectation and frustration, I believe it is possible for both my students and myself to experience dramatic increases in motivation, in addition to achieving better academic outcomes. Revisions to existing curriculum will be proposed, and reflections on my beliefs regarding motivation and education will be elucidated upon in detail.
Analysis of Case Using Theory and Research
The subject of this motivation case analysis is myself, a current I have a background in education based on my family history; my father is the headmaster of a primary school, so I had already grown accustomed to the rigors of schooling at a young age. Furthermore, I was given the chance to become a 12th grade teacher at this same school last year, granting me an opportunity to utilize the training I had gained thus far in education to teach students on my own. Having taught in this classroom setting for several months, a number of trends have begun to assert themselves. As I am fairly new to the experience of teaching, I have a tremendous uncertainty about my ability to perform the tasks asked of me. I find myself shuffling my feet in class, speaking softly instead of authoritatively to my students, and freezing up at occasional moments when I forget my next teaching point or class curriculum schedule. The students themselves have a number of behavioral problems – the students engage in excessive talking and checking of phones and other mobile devices while in class, and have trouble paying attention to lectures and class activities. Participation is lower than preferred and test scores are somewhat lower, which leads me to believe I am not sufficiently motivating them enough.
In order to identify the specific problems that I am having with my teaching experience, it is necessary to discuss them in the context of social cognitive theory (SCT). In social cognitive theory, individuals model their behavior after others, hoping to replicate those actions in order to see the same result they observed when first seeing this action performed (Bandura, 2001). Observation is the cornerstone of learning; when an individual observes something, they expect an identical outcome as the original observation; when this does not occur, (e.g. they are punished instead of being rewarded), this can have a dramatic effect on one’s self-efficacy (Miller, 2005).
One of my most persistent problems is a lack of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy can be defined as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives” (Bandura, 1994). The extent of an individual’s self-efficacy can affect their motivations and behavior, since they will behave according to their own appraisal of their capacities and skills. If someone possesses high self-efficacy, it is much more likely that they will participate in activities and behavior that allow them to achieve their personal or professional goals. However, individuals with low self-efficacy doubt their ability to do many different things, and typically lack commitment and motivation to perform.
In the specific context of teaching, perceived self-efficacy can have a dramatic effect on functioning, as well as the cognitive development of students (Bandura, 1993). Self-efficacy beliefs have a tremendously significant impact on cognitive processes, as it contributes to the utilization of skills carried by an individual – if a teacher does not believe in their ability to convey a skill, they are less likely to perform a skill despite having learned it at an expert level in other contexts (Bandura, 1993).
These experiences are very closely related to common trends among the self-efficacy of teachers. Self-efficacy of teachers is said to be determined by a number of factors, including master experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and psychological arousal (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007). Mastery experiences – occasions in which teachers have demonstrated a mastery of a skill or competency – are said to be the most effective source of self-efficacy (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007). As with other novice teachers, I have few mastery experiences to work with, and so I am only operating on my limited understanding of how I teach based on the short amount of time I have now been teaching. Verbal persuasion often takes the form of “interpersonal support from administrators, colleagues, parents and the community,” and is the primary means by which I receive my motivation (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007).
Additionally, I have problems with poor stress management and high frustration. Boyle et al.’s model of the dimensions of teacher stress (1995) The pressures of teaching, exacerbated by the vicious cycle of my lack of competence and low self-efficacy, leads me to often feel as though I have a lot of pressure on me to perform and improve my performance far more dramatically than would be reasonable. This leads me to manage my stress poorly, as I do not compartmentalize it or allow it to move through me – instead, I dwell on it and use my stress to fuel my low self-efficacy.
Much of my frustrations can find structural and theoretical basis in equity theory, in which individuals experience dissatisfaction when they feel they are not compensated for their efforts in a just manner (Johnson, 1986). Equity theory explores the effect a perceived lack of injustice can have on motivation; in essence, having distinct problems with the way your occupation or task is being rewarded can dramatically lower your incentive to work. This is a prevalent phenomenon among teachers, who experience great stress due to conflicting personality dispositions, the long hours and responsibilities of supervising large numbers of children, comparatively low pay and little health benefits, and more (Boyle et al., 1995). To that end, teachers are repeatedly and disproportionately given less incentive and motivation to work than many other occupations (Boyle et al., 1995).
In my case, I do feel a distinct inequity occurring within my workplace environment; as a first-time teacher in a challenging grade level, I consciously understand that my pay and benefits would not be high. That being said, the challenges of teaching are not compensated to the level that I would like, or that I feel is commensurate with the work and hours I must put in as an educator. Given the behavioral problems of my students, and how they have increased over time, this has had a cumulative effect on my perception of my skills and abilities as a teacher – as I cannot keep them quiet and concentrated on the task at hand, I slowly become less motivated to try to keep them motivated. This is a common feeling and complaint among teachers, of course, but I feel it as well, and it affects my motivation to put my full energies into the act of teaching.
Using self-determination theory (SDT), I have determined that I also experience tremendous and fundamental dissatisfaction at my job. Self-determination theory revolves around the inherent growth and psychological needs of an individual, fuelling the intrinsic motivations of many people (Harter, 1978). SDT is “an innate psychological need model, which means that you are born with these psychological needs and you are trying to fulfill them” (Springer, Chapter 3). Self-determination is the ongoing quest for us to fulfill our senses of autonomy (the ability to do things on our own), relatedness (the ability to form long-lasting relationships with others) and competence (the need to be an effective presence in one’s environment), resulting in a fully-fleshed out human being with their own sense of satisfaction (Springer, Chapter 3).
In terms of my own sense of self-determination, I feel as though my job offers me little of the three factors necessary for personal growth. I feel little autonomy in the classroom, due to the needs of administrators, staff, principles and the education standards and assessments I am asked to teach to. With regards to relatedness, I have trouble forming bonds with my students due to their disinterest and my shyness as a teacher – which in turn prevents me from forming relationships with my fellow teachers and staff. Furthermore, my aforementioned lack of self-efficacy dramatically affects my sense of competence, as I do not feel as though I am an effective enough teacher because of these interpersonal, motivational hurdles. These attributes are exacerbated by the results of my lack of motivation, perpetuating themselves in a vicious cycle. As a result, my sense of self-determination as virtually as low as my sense of self-efficacy.
Through the concepts of equity theory, self-determination theory, and more, I have determined that I carry a low sense of self-efficacy, and a high level of stress and job frustration that leads to a conflicting combination of feeling like I work hard enough to be paid more than I am, and not being good enough at my job to get my students to learn effectively. The combination of poor student response, student behavioral problems, a feeling of helplessness and the stresses of teaching have all factored into an overall sense of dissatisfaction with my work, which translates to low motivation.
Proposed Revisions
Based on the aforementioned case study, there are three (3) changes I must consider in order to improve my own sense of motivation. First, I must try a new strategy of motivation to facilitate a greater sense of preparedness in my work; this should serve to improve my self-efficacy. Dembo & Gibson (1985) recommend enhancing teachers’ sense of efficacy through increasing the number of experiences taken in different social contexts, offering strategies to deal with student failure and analyze teaching methods to identify sources of inefficacy, analyzing differences between teaching efficacy and personal efficacy, and better teacher/parent interactions, among others (pp. 181-182). Specifically, I wish to consult with administrators, staff and fellow teachers regarding ways to deal with student failure, which would in turn provide me with more chances at productive communication with coworkers. I also wish to find a better means of separating personal efficacy from teaching efficacy, including mental exercises which allow me to compartmentalize classroom failures and setbacks so I do not let them affect me as negatively, and allow them to diminish my own self-confidence. Scheduling one-on-one talks with parents of my students will also help me learn the children’s personalities and what they might need from me as a teacher, so I can more ardently prepare for that.
Secondly, I must set new motivational goals in order to make myself more at peace with my current employment status and level of compensation. Finding ways to fit in with my organizational culture will help this; forming more of a transformative relationship with my principal will help me to facilitate a greater sense of job satisfaction, as I can alleviate the disappointment regarding the expected rewards of competitive pay and good benefits by focusing more on my own development as a teacher. Studies have shown that increases in teacher job satisfaction occur when this type of transformational leadership is elicited from their principals (Bogler, 2001). To that end, opening myself up to receiving mentorship from senior official at my school will aid me in increasing self-efficacy, improving relatability, and diminishing my current job dissatisfaction.
Thirdly, I must improve my self-determination through revising my classroom environment to become more autonomous and conducive to building relationships. This will be helped greatly through the aforementioned strategies from Dembo (1995) to reduce teacher inefficacy, more specifically becoming more mindful of social norms and incentives within the organization of the school. By becoming more involved and integrated within school culture, I will be able to facilitate more productive relationships with both fellow teachers and my students, thus furthering my relatability and improving my own self-determination (Dembo, 1995). I will take greater steps to find ways within the curriculum to assert my own teaching style and activities, organizing unique interventions that will enable me to feel as though I am more autonomous in the running of my classroom. With these steps, I believe I will start to feel more in control of the classroom and have a greater connection to the students within it; this will increase my motivation to perform my duties as teacher.
The overall goal of these revisions to my existing working strategy is to increase the number of mastery experiences, which will in turn increase my self-efficacy, thus improving my motivation to perform the duties and responsibilities inherent to teaching. With the help of these changes, it is hoped that my self-efficacy will increase, which will increase my satisfaction about my job, as well as my ability to relate to my students and coworkers. Furthermore, it is hoped that job stress and frustration will diminish, and I will be more at peace with the equity level at my job; if my self-efficacy also provides more positive outcomes for my classroom, it may be possible for conditions to improve in my work.
Reflection on Your Beliefs
Before analyzing my case using this motivation theory, I used to believe that I was a bad teacher. There have only been few occasions in which I have felt and demonstrated a complete mastery of my teaching skills; other times, I can detect mistakes and errors in my effectiveness as a teacher, as evidenced by the apparent lack of response and poor behavior of my students. I also felt bad that I did not motivate myself properly to serve them; I kept believing that, if I worked and prepared hard enough, something would suddenly turn around and the students would suddenly accept me and listen to me to the extent that I would like. I also felt a tremendous amount of guilt for my stress, and the idea that I felt I deserved more compensation from such a stressful job despite my perception of my incompetence.
As a result of my new learning, I now know that I am not a bad teacher, but my undesirable outcomes are coming from a place of inherent dissatisfaction with my work environment and the perception that I could not accomplish the goals that I wanted to fulfill. I have not had the mastery experiences I need to build my confidence as a teacher, which is the primary source of my discomfort and lack of motivation (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007). My high stress and frustration has stemmed from this inability to frame my experiences in a positive way, and by reframing my experiences and perspective in this way I can facilitate more positive outcomes and possibly build more mastery experiences. It is hoped that, as time passes and my number of mastery experiences improves, my self-efficacy will increase.
I know this because research has shown me the damaging and toxic effect that frustration and disappointment can have on motivation, particularly when compounded by feelings of low self-efficacy and inequality in status and pay at one’s occupation (Johnson, 1986). Novice teachers are more prone to this dissatisfaction due to the self-fulfilling nature of low-self efficacy beliefs, which is grounded in the disappointment of high expectations new teachers place on themselves (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2007). Self-determination theory has outlined the specific modalities of my job frustration, which has allowed me to quantify the specific things I need out of my job and my own performance within it. I now wish to take steps to rectify my own sense of self-efficacy as a result of the research I have conducted in equity theory, self-determination theory and frustration, which should in turn increase my motivation to work harder to become a better teacher and instructor.
Conclusion
In reflecting on my beliefs, I am now more aware of the toxic nature of my low self-efficacy and self-determination, and how I am letting my own stress and frustration affect my motivation to teach the children in the best way possible. With the help of these proposed revisions to my behavior, couched in the principles of social cognitive theory and self-determination theory, that I will benefit from greater motivation – which can then translate into better academic outcomes for my students.
References
Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and
functioning. Educational psychologist, 28(2), 117-148.
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human
behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press.
Bandura, A. (2001). SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY: An Agentic
Perspective. Annual Review of Psychology 52 (1): 1–26.
Bogler, R. (2001). The influence of leadership style on teacher job satisfaction. Educational
Administration Quarterly, 37(5), 662-683.
Boyle, G. J., Borg, M. G., Falzon, J. M., & Baglioni, A. J. (1995). A structural model of the
dimensions of teacher stress. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 65(1), 49-67.
Braun C 1976, ‘Teacher expectation: Sociopsychological dynamics’, Review of Educational
Research, 46,2, pp. 185-213.
Cohen EG 1972, ‘Sociology and the classroom: Setting the conditions for teacher-student
interaction’, Review of Educational Research, 42,4, pp. 441-452.
Cooper HM 1979, ‘Pygmalion grows up: A model for teacher expectation communication and
performance influence’, Review of Educational Research, 49,3, pp. 389-410.
Cotton K 1989, Expectations and student outcomes, Northwest Regional Educational
Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). Motivation and education:
The self-determination perspective. Educational psychologist,26(3-4), 325-346.
Dembo, M. H., & Gibson, S. (1985). Teachers' sense of efficacy: An important factor in school
improvement. The Elementary School Journal, 173-184.
Evans, E. D., & Tribble, M. (1986). Perceived teaching problems, self-efficacy, and commitment
Friedman, I. A., & Kass, E. (2002). Teacher self-efficacy: A classroom-organization
conceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(6), 675-686.
Harter, S. (1978). Effectance motivation reconsidered: Toward a developmental model. Human
Development, 1, 661–669.
Henderlong J, & Lepper MR 2002, ‘The effects of praise on children's intrinsic motivation: a
review and synthesis’, Psychological bulletin, 128,5, pp. 774.
Henson, R. K. (2001). Teacher Self-Efficacy: Substantive Implications and Measurement
Dilemmas.
Johnson, S.M. 1986. "Incentives for Teachers: What Motivates, What Matters." Educational
Administration Quarterly Vol. 22, No. 3 (Summer 1986): 54-79.
Jussim L & Harber KD 2005, ‘Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies: Knowns and
unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies’, Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9,2, pp. 131-155.
Lane KL, Wehby JH & Cooley C 2006,’Teacher expectations of students' classroom behavior
across the grade span: Which social skills are necessary for success?’ Exceptional Children, 72,2, pp. 153-167.
Marks HM 2000, ‘Student Engagement in Instructional Activity: Patterns in the Elementary,
Middle, and High School Years’, American Educational Research Journal 37,1, pp. 153-184.
Marshall HH & Weinstein RS, 1984, ‘Classroom factors affecting students’ self-evaluations: An
interactional model’, Review of Educational Research, 54,3, pp. 301-325.
Miller, K. (2005). Communication Theories: Perspectives, Processes, and Contexts (2nd ed.).
New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pidgeon DA 1970, Expectation and pupil performance, Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell.
Pearson, L. C., & Moomaw, W. (2005). The Relationship between Teacher Autonomy and
Stress, Work Satisfaction, Empowerment, and Professionalism. Educational research quarterly, 29(1), 38-54.
Proctor CP, 1984, ‘Teacher Expectations: A Model for School Improvement’, Elementary School
Rist RC 1970, ‘Student social class and teacher expectations: The self-fulfilling prophecy in
ghetto education’, Harvard educational review, 40,3, pp. 411-451.
Schwarzer, R., & Hallum, S. (2008). Perceived teacher self‐efficacy as a predictor of job stress
and burnout: Mediation analyses. Applied Psychology,57(s1), 152-171.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2007). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy and relations with
strain factors, perceived collective teacher efficacy, and teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 611.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2010). Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of
relations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 1059-1069.
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2007). The differential antecedents of self-efficacy beliefs
of novice and experienced teachers. Teaching and teacher Education, 23(6), 944-956.
