Intrinsic Motivational Growth and the End of Term

Perhaps like me you have witnessed the increasing business of your students as the end of the academic year approached. Perhaps also like me you saw motivation to work increase beyond your wildest dreams, soaring to heights you thought the students could never attain. Perhaps like me then you also experienced the disappointment that such motivation was saved up until the very last minute.

From my point of view it is disappointing when such strategies effectively relegate the students to grades below their capability. I have given the problem much thought and yesterday began to see a connection I had not seen before.

My Hypothesis

Once again Prospect Theory may have a connection. Prospect Theory basically says that people are more likely to take action to avoid a loss, than they are to take action to recieve a gain.

I beleive this principle is in action within many of our students. My hypothesis is as follows:

Typically intrinsic motivation drops after the first few weeks on the course. They are more familiar with the territory, they have made friends and might therefore have more distractions. The novelty has worn off and other life factors are impacting academic success. They are beginning to "chill out" too much and there is a sense that there is plenty of time. This is the part we teachers all hate, and we have to keep finding ways to get our students to value their education. In more extreme circumstances students refuse to work, have tantrums etc.

Then as the end of the year approaches, the mindset begins to change. Suddenly, in spite of their previous performance (or lack of it), they have decided that they do want their qualification after all - it would be such a waste of time to spend a year at college and come away with nothing!

And there we find the connection. After all the weeks and months have passed, almost regardless of the type of student, each one of them feels they have now made an investment of time and effort.

From the teachers perspective it might not have been enough time or effort, but from the student's point of view the investment has been made. With this new perspective the student looks at the approaching end of year, looks at their grades, their pile of unfinished work, and suddenly wants to get it done.

Prospect Theory says students are more likely to take action to avoid a loss, than they are to take action to recieve a gain. Because students now feel they have made an investment they now have something to lose. They feel it likely that they might lose their invesment and so are more likely to take action to avoid the loss.

And there you have it. My hypothesis in a nutshell. Take a peek below and you can see it in a diagram too.

Even more amusing, if you let it happen, is the students who continue to come in to college even after the end of term. Grasping with both hands their "last chance saloon". Students with appalling attendance records during term time somehow find the motivation to come into college during their holiday. An incredible increase in motivation. Wow.

Of course this is just my theory, I am happy to discuss its potential flaws. We mustn't also forget the other extrinsic factors like fear of parents, fear of not going to uni etc... or are they intrinsic too?

I think my next student study will be based around this. Perhaps prospect theory comes into it, no doubt other factors, but I want to know what the factors are. Then I can start introducing them earlier in the year to bring about this marvelous motivational change sooner.