Thanks Prof Kamal for your views. I will be back soon. Such a lot of work seems to come to those who work hard...

Dear Miranda, I agree with Kamal ideas. I'm on the bus going to the faculty for a few hours of administrative work. This idea of stop "spoon feeding" is basic but has many dimensions.

Dear Miranda,

The problem is essentially on the textbooks, most of which are based on a Bourbakist idea. Personally I would like to have books, in which, for every unit there is a first part which is a conceptual introduction, with many examples and the second part is a technical development. If the teacher has the first part available, could easily prepare her/his teaching plan. A useful book is the NCTM book Historical Topics for the Mathematics Classroom. We need such books, with interesting examples, applications, etc.

Miranda, I must say that the roots of this problem in Russia at present time are mostly in poor selection of students entering University after high school. It happened after Russia accepted General State's Exam system and cancelled local University entrance tests. If such students can get goal without significant efforts they will not accept your ideas.

Thanks for your views.

@Costas, in my institution, I don't have the book that you mention. I have a few papers and I have done a survey. Now I'm writing up...

@Alex: You are right. 'If such students can get goal without significant efforts they will not accept your ideas.' My students generally are conscious of grade and career. But it's only those with INTRINSIC MOTIVATION who will become lifelong learners.

Dear Miranda I agree with your concept that INTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS let to become lifelong learners. As a teacher, I believe that the example that you can give to students demonstrating on a daily basis that we are committed every day to update our knowledge for conferences, research, and even to teach them the latest updates on various topics or assist in the preparation of a thesis degree or a seminar. I find that this simple daily "transfert" is very instructive and gives results in the long term.

Thanks Enzo, what an encouraging answer. Just the type that Lijo would make. We miss him a lot, don't we?

I like it:

'the example that you can give to students demonstrating on a daily basis that we are committed every day to update our knowledge for conferences, research, and even to teach them the latest updates on various topics or assist in the preparation of a thesis degree or a seminar. '

You should be confident and good familiarity with the subject knowledge;

Speak clearly enough for all students to be able to hear;

Make eye contact with individuals in the class;

Being approachable, including being available outside set class times;

Encourage clarifying questions;

Provide students with key notes prior to the class; and

Share learning outcomes with students at the beginning of the class.

Prof N, in this college, we aren't giving notes. So I tell them to read up before hand. The good students read the international Biology texts, the others read a much thinner book produced locally.

A large lecture class is up to 250 students, a small lecture class is 150 students. Tutorial classes and practicals are about 25 students per class. I teach 13 to 16 hours a week.

Dear Miranda, I think that intrinsic motivation depends a lot on the student's personal and/or professional goals and objectives. When I was teaching at Middlesex University in Mauritius, we carried individual meetings with the students called "Personal development planning". During these meetings the students were invited to reflect on their performance and the difficulties they encounter in class and to assess them in line with their career development projects. Since it was just one meeting per year, I would tend to think that the more time we spend with our students helping them to develop their professional project and linking their knowledge and competencies to it, the more they will be motivated to accomplish more and to nurture their self-development.

I would try some exercises in class where the students first identify their personal goals (in terms of personal and/or professional development) and secondly discuss about what they have learned and how it can contribute concretely and directly to these goals to add meaning and help them think in terms of intrinsic motivation.

Large classes are difficult to handle. I am lucky that I had classes about a maximum 60 in India, and here about 30. I would suggest you start developing class notes based on your preparation for classes. Improve it year by year and make that available to them as course package at some cost.

Dear Miranda

When students have personal goals as mastery of content , not just completing tasks or getting enough note, will engage , invest time and psychic energy in certain mental activities . This active role of the student must be reinforced by the teacher using strategies ranging from methods that lead to the understanding of a text, making summaries , diagrams or raise issues , to managing the time available for the study

The teacher should always have a decisive role , even if you summarize the supply of motivating incentives . For this, the teacher is required to participate actively to improve student motivation , while it teaches you to think, how important is knowing how to teach thinking , while trying to enhance the motivation to learn is desirable that the teacher promotes in the classroom a welcoming atmosphere , conveying the student a sense of belonging , where you feel integrated .

The teacher should always opt for a wide range of pedagogical processes to promote

( intrinsic , extrinsic or combined ) motivation of the largest number of students .

Check list for the teacher :

1)Create rewards to motivate students

2)Being a good teacher and a good human being

3)Motivate the student guiding him to do a job ;

4)Use positive emotions

One of the most difficult tasks a teacher faces is motivating students to learn.

Intrinsic motivation refers to engagement in an activity with no reason other than the enjoyment and satisfaction of engagement itself. By comparison, extrinsic motivation refers to engagement that provides means to ends that go beyond the engagement itself.

Engagement out of intrinsic motivation requires no external incentives and enhances motivation to engage again in the future. Studies also suggest that engagement out of intrinsic motivation is associated with enhanced comprehension, creativity, cognitive flexibility, achievement, and long-term well-being. By comparison, engagement out of extrinsic motivation may cease once the external motivator is removed.

By combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, teachers can help students learn the subject at hand as well as valuable life skills.

Thanks for your views and great advice. I agree:

'intrinsic motivation depends a lot on the student's personal and/or professional goals and objectives',

'active role of the student must be reinforced by the teacher using strategies ranging from methods that lead to the understanding of a text, making summaries , diagrams',

'By combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, teachers can help students learn the subject at hand as well as valuable life skills'.

My students did respond that they liked teachers who impart knowledge expertly and cheerfully, and allow them to work collaboratively. But they don't like tests!

Follow life.

Life is a strange teacher. It first take exam and then teach you the lesson.

Unusual response Darasingh! Do you mean that some people learn the hard way from life? But don't our parents and teachers teach us beforehand, so that we don't make mistakes that we regret?

Students always try to follow a good teacher in all respect. So I feel, a teacher has to have/posses and show case those those qualities which he/she wants to inculcate in students. A teacher should be:

knowledgeable

ever learner

patience,

calm

methodical; systematic

friendly

disciplined

polite

encouraging

open

accessible....

Start with external incentives to enhance the external motivation , and then move towards enhancing the intrinsic motivation.

Hi. . Im not sure if my answer gonna help or not. When i was a biology ug, we always look forward to field trips. Leaving homes for beautiful forests of Brunei looking for nocturnal mammals etc. These field trips are included as pass/fail modules for our subject. More interesting when our hard work were paid off with our names as co authors of a published paper submitted by our former lecturer.

Thanks for your views:

@Prof Ravi, Saed, Fatimah et al.,

My students did say that they liked teachers who impart knowledge expertly and cheerfully (that means don't just read off the PPT), and allow them to work collaboratively.

@Fatimah, students did ask for field trips, but the college doesn't have this kind of budget! One of my friends who studied at UNIMAS came back and told us all of field trips like yours :))

Enhancing the intrinsic motivation would be achieved by touching and promoting the learners' "self-actualization", at the top of Maslow's hierarchy. Therefore we need to create a safe and friendly learning environment. We should, as teachers, respect our students, encourage them and pay more attention to their self-esteem, confidence and attitudes.

Thanks Saed: i agree that:

'We should, as teachers, respect our students, encourage them and pay more attention to their self-esteem, confidence and attitudes.'

I see among my students that Intrinsic motivation (interest in science) leads to more effort put to getting good grades (external) and desire to get into a career in science (external motivation). The 2 sources of motivation strengthen each other. I see that this is fine and proper :)

Thanks @Taiar, Tarik. Yes:

'such method needs to be documented as the general aims are facts -concepts -principles and attitudes'; 'teacher or lecturer should evaluate'.

Friends, have you asked your students:

'How hard or intensely do you strive?

For how long will you strive?

What feelings do you experience when you are striving?'

@Tarik Nasser, thanks for:

'Adult basic education and training is the general conceptual foundation towards life long learning and development, comprising of knowledge, skills and attitudes required for social, economic and political participation' and...

'flexible, developmental and targeted at the specific needs of particular audiences and ideally, provides access to nationally recognized certificates.'

Friends, I did say that Intrinsic motivation (interest in science) leads to more effort put to getting good grades (external) and desire to get into a career in science (external motivation).

But at times I see students who are only concerned about marks and grades, and go about comparing marks. The motivation is external only. In this situation what do you usually do? Do you advise the students?

Dear friends (and Tarik Nasser): thanks, you have all given reasons why we should look into this question!

Sometimes I tell my students that I don't want to see their 4.0 grades. I want them to be able to THINK, so that they continue to acquire skills and develop wholesome attitudes!

Thanks for your views. I think, we have to send the message across to our students that both sources of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) are fine and complement one another.

@Taiar, thanks. Agree that success is the result of hard work!

I agree with Miranda that “both sources of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) are fine and complement one another"

@Saed,

Motivation is one element of the affective (related to feelings) domain of learning.

But constructivist and behaviorist are learning theories.

Dear friends, I should define intrinsic motivation as drive from the internal state of a student to achieve due to interest in a subject or personal values or characteristics including a belief or confidence that he can if he puts in effort, and due to desire to take responsibility or control over his learning. So IM includes self efficacy and self determination.

External motivation is due to factors of environment like career motivation and grade motivation. This question is simple, I wish to say that both types of motivation can be mutually supportive, and can our instruction be carried out to assure our students of this. Just a brief explanation.

Thanks for your views.

Sent from mobile.

There are different forms of extrinsc motivation, ranging from acceptance of authority to integration of purpose and goals. The more integrated the better. Some students will never get to intrinsic motivation for learning academic subjects, so instruction designed to move students towards the more integrated end of the extrinsic spectrum would be desirable. The 2 main factors necessary for integration of purpose are success and control, so our curriculum, pedagogy and assessment should be designed to maximise these 2.