Running head: MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL!

Some Motivational Issues Typied by Three Students in an Urban Massachusetts High School

Jeremiah Paul Connell University of New England

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

Introduction A handful of high school social studies teachers in an urban Massachusetts school were asked for their thoughts on student motivation. Three students emerged as good focus points for further discussion: student Z is highly motivated and academically successful, BB appears almost totally unmotivated to participate in any class at school, and TK has serious home-life issues impacting her performance and motivation. Of particular interest was the difference (if any) between students self-perception of their motivation to learn and the perceptions of their instructors. To what does the student attribute his or her academic successes or failures? A questionnaire on self-perceptions and factors affecting student motivation was developed and administered to three students by the social studies department head. Because the author did not have direct access to students and because the availability of the teachers interviewed was limited, a focused examination of attribution theory did not seem appropriate; instead, any information that seems poignant, salient, pertinent to a discussion on student motivation [stemming from inquires to this teacher group] is included. Other research is cited relating to the discussion where appropriate.

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

Student Z: Motivation in Gifted Students

(Teacher T:) Do we have kids who do it just for the learning, or are even top
kids just doing it for the grade? (Other male teacher:) It depends, some of
them are
doing it simply for the grade, and some of them are doing it because
they
want to know.
I nd the top, top, (Teacher A interjects) really top, Zs, (Teacher A
continues) Theyre in for learning...She just wants to learn stuff, and shes
the top top top. (Teacher T:) But the rest of that--my AP seniors--three
quarters of them are just there for AP grades (A:) Yah. My honors kids,
some of them legitimately want to know what they got wrong on something
so they can correct it, and some of them want to know why they didnt get a
higher grade because--not because they want to know about something--its
because they want a higher number (group interview/personal
communication, December 7, 2011). Student Z was described as possessing an innate curiosity--an intrinsic motivation to learn--and this quality is typical of students also described as gifted. Although her grades are important to her, getting high marks is not the primary driver of her behavior. Self-determined and intrinsic motivations emerge from the learners own needs and desires, in contrast to other-determined and extrinsic motivations, which originate from outside pressure from others (Deci & Ryan, 1987 as cited in Hardr & Sullivan, 2009). Student Zs own description of her desire to do well is completely congruent with statements from her teachers and existing literature on motivation and high academic achievers:

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

(Z:) I really like to know things, and learning to me is fun! Grades play a part, but I guess I often look at them as validation of my work. Z is able to capitalize on her curiosity and focus. [Renzulli]...sees task commitment as an essential element in the achievement of gifted behaviour (Phillips & Lindsay, 2007). The ability to--and the motivation to--stick with an endeavor is something worth examination and study. Many researchers note the very great importance of the home background in general, and parental support and encouragement in particular, in the progress and achievement of gifted young people (Radford, 1990; Howe, 1995 as cited in Phillips & Lindsay). Again, Zs own words jibe with the literature:

Well, my parents are really supportive and I also think Ive had a lot of exposure to knowledge and learning since I was little because both of my parents are teachers. In a 2006 study in the United Kingdom, 15 gifted students were asked about the inuence of their home backgrounds on their motivation and achievement. Without exception they and their teachers paid tribute to the support given to them both in social and academic contexts by parents and home backgrounds (Phillips & Lindsay). According to Zs teacher:

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

Her journal entries and that blog...She was reecting on conversations she had at home with relatives friends about it [and it] just shows a curiosity I guess nurtured by the home. Another teacher in the interview room added: I would say the number one indicator, as far as academic success and academic curiosity in school seems to be whats going on at home...which makes it difcult...I would hate to think we dont [have] that much inuence, but... This comment--especially the part at the end where the Massachusetts teacher reects upon educators inuence--is perfectly in line with another nding from Phillips and Lindsays study: A related and perhaps slightly surprising factor was that there was no suggestion from any student that anyone outside the family, such as a teacher, was regarded as a role model with a motivating inuence in terms of school or career achievements. Contacts with those of similar interests and abilities are seen as an important need for the gifted/very able (Phillips & Lindsay). Student Z writes: Most of my friends are also really motivated and driven.

Student TK: An Unstable Home-lifes Detrimental Effect If the ndings about a supportive home-lifes correlation with high levels of intrinsic motivation and stellar performance make sense (and they do), then it

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

would stand to reason that an unsupportive home-life correlates with low academic motivation and less-than-stellar academic performance.





















































(Teacher A:) Ok. Can we think of an example of somebody who...it [apparent amotivation and disengagement] is probably for a good reason...like this kid [student BB, discussed later] we cant gure it out...Ill give you one...I have a student who...a lot of violence in the home, I dont even know...parents have been [out of the picture]... I [have had] meetings with the grandmother and the childrend be yelling, lots of swearing at each other...and she [student TK] gets into a ght with the grandmother and the brother gets kicked out and they bring charges against her [TK], I dont know what happened...so shes living with a friend...a family thats taken her in, meanwhile having to ght court charges that her own grandmother and brother have brought against her which are dropped because they dont manage to show up to court...this girl has trouble showing up to class and school...I dont know what youre looking for in the motivation case, but theres a case where ...not sure what to do there... (Author:) In this case, I wonder if...somebody this age, yknow, when you talk about attribution theory...to what does the student attribute academic failure or or not doing stuff...in this case Im sure the student is aware...my home-life is messed up, so this is why Im not coming to school, I have more important sh to fry, Ive got bigger problems on my platter...and so, does the student tell you this? Does she come forward and say this is what I have going on and doing a paper right now is not a top priority for me? (Teacher A:) No, its not that simple because she comes to school and then just dismisses herself before my class and Im actually a really nice teacher; Ill give her makeup work, Ill giver her alternative assignments...I dont know if she can even articulate it that way (group interview/personal

communication, December 7, 2011).

Maslows hierarchy of needs tells us that basic necessities come before intellectual pursuits. It is important that there be some stability in having those basic needs

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

met. Not knowing where one is going to live from week to week is bound to produce anxiety. Emotional trauma caused by violence or instability in the home will produce anxiety as well. This anxiety would have a detrimental effect on anyones motivation to learn. Unsurprisingly, in Phillips and Lindsays study of highly motivated high achievers, no student mentioned any home factors which had an adverse effect on their motivation in general. The task of motivating students has two separate elements: diagnosing (knowing if students are motivated) and intervening (taking steps to support motivation and remediate for lack of motivation) (Hardr and Sullivan 2008b). Teacher As feelings about trying to do what she can for TK (Ill give her makeup work, Ill giver her alternative assignments...) are consistent with ndings from Hardr and Sullivans 2009 study on high school teachers perceptions of student motivation: Often teachers feel unable to change external factors, such as students home and family problems, but feel able to intervene for other factors that they perceive as malleable (Hardr and Sullivan, 2008b). Of special interest to this author was TKs own perceptions and attributions regarding motivation to learn at school. Could she diagnose and articulate her own problems and needs? What kind of help could she expect? Unfortunately, she did

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not ll out the questionnaire developed by the department head. Teacher A explained: I havent seen her since the last time you [this author] were here [12/07/2011] (personal communication, December 16, 2011).

Student BB: Amotivated High School Boy Amotivation is dened as the absence of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation and, thus, the absence of self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2002). An amotivated individual perceives no worthwhile reasons for participation (Lonsdale, Sabiston, Taylor, & Ntoumanis, 2010).

































(Teacher T on student BB failing gym class:) Are you kidding? Literally nothing...100% effort...Its a 100% effort class. (Teacher A interjects:) You cant say that theres a learning disability blocking him from getting involved, you go out, you get dressed for gym, you

pass. (Teacher T:) Thats it...So, there is absolutely no reason besides his own effort why he didnt pass gym in the rst place, and then it speaks to even more of his laziness that hes going and begging Mr. ______ to change his grade for him rather than... If all it takes to make up gym class is just going and running...then not just going and running... (Another teacher:) But still...this is a varsity athlete whos notorious for sitting in class doing nothing...hes wandering the halls... (Teacher A:) Yeah,..he wanders the halls like crazy, he doesnt go to class...he failed, I mean...you can still play basketball, still play sports, if you fail three classes, he failed four, so he spent a week begging teachers to change it and...nobody...and by the way, the administration pressured nobody to change it. (Another teacher:) And is he--you had him as a student--is

MOTIVATIONAL ISSUES IN AN UBAN MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL !

he able? (Teacher T:) Yah, hes perfectly able... (Another teacher:) I had him too, for his rst month here he was like a model student...A plusses. (Author:) Begging teachers to change grades...Ive seen a lot of this...not in Taiwan or Brazil, but in the U.S., yah. (Teacher A:) They just literally dont do the work ...you can see this portfolio essay that
weve scaffolded in class and done part of the writing for them...do an outline, its worth 20% of your grade, and they still...

The only thing we know of that BB shows any motivation towards is playing basketball [evidenced by teacher comments and his own responses to the questionnaire]. On this authors return visit to the school [December 16th] , one of the teachers left the interview room to reprimand BB for wandering the corridor, just outside. To what does BB attribute his apparent lack of motivation? Teacher A was mildly surprised that he took the time to ll out the questionnaire and was impressed at the self-awareness he showed in his answers: How would you describe your desire to do well at school? How would you describe your interest in learning?
To be honest I do want to learn but there is so much distraction and my will
to learn is lazy. Why do you think you are or are not motivated about school?
Im motivated at school, ______ [name of school redacted] is just boring and
I dont think the teachers teach well...Also the classes are long...When I was
at _______[name of different area high school redacted], I had honoral [sic]
classes 45 minutes long...

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To what extent does your home-life affect your motivation (or lack of motivation) at school?
My family are extremely on my case bout [sic] school. My dad will make
me stay in to do work but at the same time its easy to fool them so I get away
with it and they forget to check up on it. What other facts affect your motivation (or lack of motivation)? Friends? Teachers?
Playing basketball is really the reason I am motivated to do well in school
and being something one day, but like I said, a lot of distractions: friends,
playing ball, and not getting good sleep makes me tired and lazy in school,
sleeping in class, etc. I also have a quick temper. I tend to talk back and say
rude things so that gets me in trouble. I hate sitting in class so I wander the
halls when I sit for too long. BBs enjoyment of basketball ts with statements from the literature: Adolescents value behaviors that they nd enjoyable and feel competent performing (Eccles & Harold, 1991; Sabiston & Crocker, 2008 as cited in Lonsdale, Sabiston, Taylor, & Ntoumanis). Considering that BB needs to move his body from time to time and that he enjoys sports, it is somewhat confusing that gym is one of the classes he repeatedly skips. Motivation is an important variable to consider in the physical education (PE) context, as adaptive types of motivation have been associated with intentions to exercise (Standage, Duda, & Ntoumanis, 2003) ...Self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2002) has been widely used to study motivation within

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the PE context (Lonsdale, Sabiston, Taylor, & Ntoumanis, 2010). Perhaps BB does not feel he has enough autonomy in the context of gym class. Being allowed to--or not allowed to--play on sports teams depending upon academic performance is an extrinsic motivational tactic commonly employed by teachers, coaches, and/or systems. Teacher R stated: I nd I have a lot more success as a soccer coach getting kids to actually come to school or... if theyre coming in late, simple: you dont play. Its that simple, but I dont have that carrot in class (personal communication, December 7th, 2011). Extrinsic motivators may have an effect, but the innate curiosity and intrinsic motivation showcased by gifted students probably isnt going to be brought into existence and fostered by measures such as requiring maintenance of a certain GPA in order to play sports. Conclusion All the teachers interviewed on both occasions at this high school expressed an appreciation for the need to address student motivation. Some expressed a modicum of frustration at not being able to get students to do their work. All teachers expressed some empathy and understanding for the position of their students in regard to academic motivation. This is best summed up by Teacher A

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during our rst meeting: I think with our kids theres a lot to be said; schools hard: showing up everyday, doing seven classes...school is hard and if you dont have a reason for doing it, why would you bother?

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References Hardr, P.L., and Sullivan, D.W. (2009). Motivating adolescents: High school teachers perceptions and classroom practices. Teacher Development, 13(1), 1-16 Hardr, P.L., and D.W. Sullivan. (2008b). Teachers perceptions and individual differences: How they influence teachers motivating strategies. Journal of Teaching and Teacher Education (4)7, 117 Phillips, N. and Lindsay, G. (2006). Motivation in gifted students, High Ability Studies, (17)1, 57-73 http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/13598130600947119 Lonsdale, C. Sabiston, C., Taylor, I., Ntoumanis, N. (2010). Measuring student motivation for physical education: Examining the psychometric properties of the Perceived Locus of Causality Questionnaire and the Situational Motivation Scale. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, (12)3, 284-292