I want to start first by saying that I was really excited to be able to look at the different measurement tools on the Self-Determination Theory site; I think this certainly helps in addressing the questions several of us have had in terms of the research process and effective data collection. I found myself wanting to take these questionnaires and administer them to my colleagues and students. I found that idea both intriguing (and perhaps a little bit unnerving) when looking at the "Motivators' Orientation" questionnaires... I identify as a teacher supportive of students' autonomy in class and as one who tries not to be controlling - but would my students say the same? These tools (such as the Problems in Schools and Perceived Autonomy Support questionnaires) might be good to administer as a mid-year barometer of student/teacher perceptions. Gulp. I'll tell you how it goes. And yes - I am quickly becoming a Ryan & Deci groupie... Dr. Pusch, can you arrange an introduction? :)
I found the Isen & Reeve (2005) study, "The Influence of Positive Affect on Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation," to be very motivating reading. The researchers conducted two different experiments testing both positive affected and neutral affected participants' use of free time to engage in choice between two tasks: one considered "interesting" ( a 3D puzzle to be physically assembled using an illustrated model) and one considered "uninteresting" (the identifying of letter strings in alphabetical order from a large chart of strings). The results showed that earlier assumptions about positive affect and its potential contribution to irresponsible or simplistic behavior are invalid; rather, the data shows that "feeling happy, even though it promotes enjoyment of enjoyable tasks, leads at the same tine to forward-looking thinking, self-control, and the ability to stay on task, even on a task that may be uninteresting or unpleasant" (p 318). This relates to a more sophisticated understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, in that activities defined as either "fun" or as "work" are not mutually exclusive: "enjoying the puzzle task more did not lead people in positive affect to neglect the work that needed to be done; and needing to spend some of the available time working on the unappealing task did not interfere with increased enjoyment of the enjoyable task" (p 319).
In other words, creating classrooms where students can enjoy themselves, feel happy, and - dare I say it - have fun, is not the sign of superficial, unprofessional and unsuccessful instruction and learning some people think it is. Personally, it seems pretty common sense to me - that when experiencing positive emotions, students would then have greater enjoyment and potentially greater achievement in learning activities. I am really tired of "FUN" being a dirty word in education. And as far as I'm concerned, the readings from this class have provided me with the evidence I need to argue in defense of fun in learning.
So what's in my locus of control? My understanding that the type of classroom environment I establish with my students - one that is emotionally supportive, allows for autonomy and inquiry, respects choice and reinforces students' experiences of success - is within my (internal) power to control. By approaching my role as the teacher with a positive affect, I can ultimately be more effective in that role.
Hi Sarah:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog posting. I enjoyed reading it. First, I would like to say I am so pleased you have decided to seek out the opinion of your students regarding notions of autonomy and control in the classroom setting. I think it is actually the dynamic interaction between a teacher and students that can facilitate the establishment of an autonomous-supportive classroom. In this type of classroom environment a teacher acts as a facilitator to students with the aim of meeting their learning needs and students interactions are based on an equitable and cooperative paradigm as opposed to an individualistic and competitive model.
Joy, happiness and fun need to be brought back into the modern classroom. As you stated in your posting motivational researchers have found that these elements do not have to be excluded from the classroom setting and do not detract from the learning process of students. If anything, these affective elements promote learning and student engagement. In fact, flow theory maintains that positive emotions are affilated with the learning process and actually facilitate engaged learning because individuals become engrossed in their particular task(s) that time seems to fly.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your blog post title! I cringe every time I hear news about teacher ratings and standardized tests because I think it is the quickest way to rid the education system of "fun" teachers! Having said that, I firmly believe that effective learning takes place in the classroom of "fun" teachers and that they should be highly rated. However, I think the fear in most school districts is that if a teacher is not following the cookie-cutter recipe of test-prep lesson after test-prep lesson, then they must be doing something wrong and their student's scores will suffer. I'm not sure how we can break out of that mold in the lower levels! Fortunately, in higher education there is a lot more flexibility to go "off-script" and provide lessons or classroom opportunities that are not identical to the classroom next door. This is exactly why I am pursuing a college teaching career - it is a perfect blend of allowing my knowledge to be shared with students while providing ways for the students to cultivate their own opinions and share their knowledge with each other.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think, I would love to be in your classroom as a student :). I definitely agree that instruction should have some elements that supports emotional level of students (fun, interest, challenge), since students have to spend half of their day in schools. However, I believe especially after no child left behind law teacher evaluations linked with students' achievement rates and this issue definitely has effect on teachers’ classroom practices. Changing teacher evaluation system (I realize that it is extremely hard thing to do) might be a fine solution to create flexibility at classroom practices.
Best,
Osman CIL