Interest, Attention, and Motivation

Learners in Context EDU 6132 Module 8

Describe factors influencing student interest, attention and motivation. Elaborate on methods for improving each of these in the context of lesson planning and classroom climate.

Objective

We don’t pay attention to boring things.

Attention promotes elaborate encoding

Attention

Prior Knowledge

Prior Knowledge

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Unusual

Unpredictable

Distinctive

Interest and Awareness

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Emotionally competent stimulus (ECS)

Events connected to emotion = memorable

Emotion

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Overview

Summary

Lesson objective

Schedule of activities

Concept map

Meaning Details

Teach with concepts, connect concepts

Multitasking Myth

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Multitasking Myth

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Attention every 10 minutes

Break-up Direct Instruction

Academic Motivation

Pressley and McCormick (2007)

Inverse relationship

Grade – increase

Motivation – decrease

Decrease in Motivation

Social model

Opinion of others

Feedback

Big fish in the little pond

Self-Efficacy

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Transitions

Elementary to Middle

Multiple teachers

Factory like characteristics

Larger, impersonal

Teachers exert more control

Less social support

Middle to High

Multiple teachers

Same factory like characteristics

Larger, impersonal

Content focus

Appropriate challenge levelScaffold and zone of proximal development

Nurture success

Promote positive expectations

Peer models

Teach specific learning strategies

Capitalize on student interest

Choices

Frequent and focused feedback

Right attribution

Improving Self-Efficacy

1. Cooperative learning

2. Interest

Effort

Ability

Task factors

Luck

Attribution

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A few individual must fail for others to succeed

Curve versus mastery

Publicizing grades

Competition

Conditions where Competitive learning may be appropriate1. Simple review activities2. Absence of evaluative criteria3. Ability to observe competitor’s progress4. Competition as a game5. Equal opportunity to win

(Johnson and Johnson, 1974)

People work together to achieve a common goal

Teams

Peer tutoring

Cooperation

Use Cooperative Learning to promote1. Problem solving2. Creativity3. Quality performance4. Positive classroom interactions5. Social skills

(Johnson and Johnson, 1974)

Not all the time

Interdependence

Accountability

Individual and group

Social skills

Balance

Ability, gender, ethnicity

Characteristics of Effective Cooperative Learning

Promoting Interest

Text readings

Offering meaningful choices

Relevant and vivid

Consider prior knowledge

Encourage students to be active learners

Lesson planning

Variety

Relevance

Consider prior knowledge

Activity

Appropriate challenge level

Provoke curiosity

Promote sense of control

Model interest in learning

Model thinking and problem solving

Identify relevance

Reduce anxiety

Content deserves attentions

Promote curiosity and suspense

Include games

Motivating Students

Describe factors influencing student interest, attention and motivation. Elaborate on methods for improving each of these in the context of lesson planning and classroom climate.

Objective