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Motivational Theory and Classroom Management

University of New England, EDU 615
Jennifer Pablico-Stelmack
April 27, 2013































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Case Study in Motivation


I. Introduction

Bill is a fifth grade student in my Regular Education class made up of 18 students, 9 boys
and 9 girls, of which over 50% is Caucasian, a majority groups he is a member of. He is 11
years old and has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) due to his reading comprehension and
written expression learning disabilities as well as a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder.
Bills IEP serves him in the regular classroom with a list of accommodations and a
paraprofessional as a shared resource.
Standardized assessments that students take are the MAP test (Measures of Academic
Progress), the MCAS Assessment (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System), and the
Teachers College Reading Assessments. RIT Norms are identified by NWEA, the
organization that created the MAP assessment, which tell us where students are performing
according to grade level. This past Fall, Bills Reading score was 207, one tenth away from the
RIT Norm. In the Winter, his score was 222 and the RIT norm was 209.9. In Math, Bills Fall
score fell 1.3 points above the RIT Norm, which was 212.7. His Winter score was 213, which
was 4.5 points below the RIT Norm. Here is a chart of Bills MAP Assessment information.
Fall Reading RIT Norm 207.1 Bills Score 207
Fall Math RIT Norm 212.7 Bills Score 214
Winter Reading RIT Norm 209.9 Bills Score 222
Winter Math RIT Norm 217.5 Bills Score 213

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Bills scores for his fourth grade MCAS Assessments are as follows: English Language
Arts 220 (Needs Improvement), Math 230 (Needs Improvement). The Teachers College
Reading Assessments showed Bill at a Q reading level (beginning of fourth grade) in the Fall and
a Q/R reading level in the Winter, which is still in the fourth grade range.
In the classroom, Bill presents as a typical fifth grade boy with attention challenges. Bill
is often doodling on his papers or notebooks and is sitting away from his desk so that he is not
able to reach his work at times. An inner tire tube is wrapped around a chair for him to fiddle
with using his feet, which is one accommodation on his IEP. Bill is easily distracted by others
and requires preferential seating in the classroom. He avoids his work by using the bathroom
often, getting water, and sharpening his pencil. When working independently, Bill does not
initiate tasks independently and needs regular check-ins to be refocused. In groups, Bill is very
passive and allows other students to complete the assignment due what seems to be lack of
interest as well as low confidence in his ability to contribute something of value to his group.
His participation and interest are minimal. Bill has worked towards the reputation of sporty and
funny, so he is well liked by others but is not performing at the same academic level of those he
identifies with.
II. Observations
I observed Bill in four separate classroom learning activities. A complete description of
these activities is described below.
A. Science
For this activity, the entire fifth grade made up of 56 students participated in a review of
Physical Science content using the Mimio, an interactive whiteboard similar to a Smartboard,
and MimioVotes, which are individual handsets with multiple choice and true or false buttons.
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A Mimio Vote allows students to complete and assessment or review content using technology.
The Mimio also has a Gradebook application which allows teacher to keep track of students
performances on different assessments. The entire fifth grade class came into one classroom to
take the Science review. Classes were mixed and pairs were made. Each pair had a handset and
was told to work together to find the right answer, meaning explain why other answers are not an
option and why his/her choice makes the most sense.
There are three motivational strategies at work in this activity. One strategy is an
extrinsic motivator. Students were told that if all votes were in and the entire fifth grade class
gets answers a question correctly, they can earn an extra minute of recess the following day.
This is a controlling activity reward, of which Anderman and Anderman state, When extrinsic
rewards are used in the classroom, they may have negative effects on some cognitive processes
(2010) and I agree to that assertion in many cases but I do not believe it applies to this particular
activity. This activity is a review of science concepts learned in the last three years, therefore it
is not an immediate follow up to new content. There is no follow up to this activity other than
the MCAS Test in 2 weeks which is not controlled by teachers. Also, this reward of earning
recess minutes was added after two days of doing this activity without a reward and students
were engaged prior to the promise of a reward.
Something that may be a larger motivator is the use of technology for this activity. The
Mimio handsets were new to all of the fifth graders. At the website
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction, authors of the article state,
Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun and that teachers can
address the different learning needs of all students. Questions were projected onto the board
with visuals. There is a timer once you allow polling to begin and the program also counts the
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number of votes that are in. The 2 other fifth grade teachers and myself decided to create a
Mimio Vote review to avoid worksheets which students are not interested in and because of the
various applications that go along with a Mimio Quiz, most importantly the handsets.
The third and largest motivator of this activity is the student grouping that allows for
cooperative learning. Cooperative learning, when planned well, can affect many basic
educational and psychological processes that are related to achievement and motivation
(Anderman and Anderman, 2010). During this science activity, student pairs were of mixed
ability levels and backgrounds as suggested by Anderman and Anderman.
Bill was paired with Paul, a student from another fifth grade class who performs
proficiently to above average and shares attention difficulties that are similar to Bills. The two
are similar in their energy levels and athletic inclinations, but are different when it comes to
academics. Paul is determined and can work hard even though he is challenged by his attention
issues. For this activity, the boys switched off who would hold the Mimio Vote and type their
answer in, and I noticed that when Paul had the handset Bill would play with something in his
desk or fiddle with something. Bills posture communicated his lack of interest, or perhaps
outwardly displaying a lack of interest even though that may not be the case. He was slouched
over with his head relaxed back. When a question would come up on the board, Bill read the
question and the answers but allows Paul to share his thoughts first, which he was more than
willing to do. Even when Bill thought he had the right answer he didnt challenge Paul or have a
discussion about the answers.
Bill could have had a difficult time with the pace of the activity. The whole fifth grade
together could have been a motivating for many students but for others it could have been
intimidating. Also, students were given a certain amount of time for each question. With a
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learning disability in reading, Bill could have had a difficult time reading and processing the
information as fast as his partner, therefore he allowed his partner to dominate the conversations.
B. Writing
The fifth graders in my class are writing Historical Fiction short stories. During this
observation, students continued writing their stories with a focus on a previous lesson that
addressed the main components to include in narrative writing. After a review of the narrative
writing components and a check in about where students are in the writing process, the children
were instructed to review yesterdays work and to pick up where they left off with their writing.
I also told students that at the end of the period I will be looking for people to share their best
scene or piece of their story so far.
When students work independently they are allowed to find a work space in the room
that will help them focus on what they need to do, so some students stay at their desks, some
move to tables, and some move to the rug. Bill stayed at his desk. During this time students sign
up for conferences with me if they have specific questions about their stories. I observed that
Bill had his writing notebook out but was not producing anything for his story. He was leaning
onto his desk with his head in one hand. His eyes were wandering around the room and to
different students. Almost all of the other students got right to work remembering where they
left off and where they needed to begin.
I called Bill over for a conference. I reviewed his story mountain which included
summaries and one word ideas and his exposition. During our conference, which lasted about 5
minutes, we worked on developing his story mountain more and thought about how to start his
next scene. When I reviewed what he had so far, a sentence that he wrote struck me because he
did a wonderful job showing not telling, which is one of the four components that we focus on.
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I told him that was a fantastic description and to continue to show not tell. Bill sat back down
after our conference and started working. He was focused on his notebook and he was writing,
but his posture remained the same.
Towards the end of the period I called all of the students back to their desks so that we
can have volunteers share some of their stories. I used name sticks to call names randomly, but
students could opt out of sharing. I called Bills namestick first and he volunteered to share a
paragraph and it was the paragraph that I complimented him on during our conference. He then
received more compliments from his classmates about his description, during which he looked at
his notebook and didnt smile or make eye contact with the person complimenting him.
There are several planned motivational strategies in this lesson, one of which was telling
students at the beginning of the period that they will have a chance to share at the end of class. If
students didnt have the option of sharing then I could see how this would cause anxiety in some
kids, but they have control over what is shared, so it is more empowering than frightening, which
makes it motivating for students. Another empowering strategy is having a conference list for
kids to sign up on. Kids have complete responsibility over their writing, respect this routine and
use it wisely. My fifth graders were allowed to choose the time period they wanted their story to
take place in and had complete autonomy in the creation of their plots, where to work, choose
when to meet with their writing partners, when to sign up for conferences, and whether or not
they want to share what theyve written. Anderman and Anderman support providing choices in
the classroom because intrinsic motivation is enhanced (2010).
An unplanned motivator in this lesson was the use of praise. Bill received specific praise
for a piece of his writing. As a student with written expression challenges, Bill was likely
surprised to receive positive feedback. I can identify this praise as an effective motivator
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because it was specifically addressing a piece of writing and the skills needed, which is what
Anderman and Anderman suggest praise to be. It was evident that the praise Bill received made
him feel successful because rather than sitting and continue to look around, he sat down after our
conference and worked on his story. More importantly, at the end of class he shared the part of
his story that I addressed during our conference with his whole class. Bill is a passive learner
and enjoys being active. He doesnt enjoy academics much, but this small event showed him
that he can be successful in his work and feel proud.
C. Reading
Fifth graders are participating in Historical Fiction Book Clubs. Bills group is made up
of 4 students, one person from his class and two people from another fifth grade class. They are
grouped together because of their similar reading levels. For book clubs, students determine the
amount of reading they will accomplish for their next meeting and they take notes on what they
read. Bills group is slightly different from other reading groups because this group is the second
to lowest reading group in terms of reading level; therefore they receive a little more guidance
and structure.
Bill does not like reading and he openly admits that. At the start of book clubs I was
concerned that Bill would not do well because students are picking the assignments and students
are having the discussions with little teacher intervention. I was pleasantly surprised to see that
Bill was performing very well in his group. In this one particular observation, Bill had his book
and his reading journal out. He initiated every discussion with a question and he shared his own
opinions that were supported with facts from the book. Bill has been a completely different
reading student in this book club.
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I believe the most important piece is that Bill can feel successful in this group of students.
His classmates read at higher levels and they enjoy reading, therefore Bill may feel inadequate
and say, I dont like reading so he doesnt have to address the feeling of not performing where
his classmates are. He cannot read the books they read with comprehension, so he cannot take
part in their conversations about book, but with this reading club he can understand what he is
reading and he is able to have a conversation in his club. Moreover, he may have the perception
of being the stronger student in the group because other group members are unfocused, do not
come prepared, and have little to contribute to discussions. Bill fills the leader role because he is
feeling good about himself due to his own comparison of his performance versus his group
members. As the leader, Bill is sensitive to other students needs and checks in with them
regarding all assignments. He also tries to involve the other students more and provides them
with opportunities to share. This activity has allowed Bill to shine in the leadership role in an
academic area that he does not like.
D. Math
Math is a difficult subject for Bill and even though he does not receive any
accommodations on his IEP for math, he receives help from the paraprofessional in the room if
needed. In the activity I observed, students were paired up to create a poster that they created
where they had to come up with a word problem that they could show in an algebraic expression.
Bill was paired up with Michelle, who is struggling with the concepts of this unit. Michelle is a
very shy, quiet girl who performs just below grade level in math. When it was their turn to share
the poster, Bill held the poster and read the problem they created. He didnt make eye contact
with anyone and his volume was very low. They did not have enough time to write down the
answer to their problem because they ran out of time. After they presented their poster, Bill
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brought it over to me and I asked him to tell me orally how he would solve the problem. He was
able to answer the question with the correction mathematical thinking.
Parts of this activity were very motivating for some students, but in Bills case I think he
was more intimidated than motivated to perform well. The partner work could have been an
incentive, but Bill was paired with a quiet girl who is not proficient in her math skills. Also, they
had the chance to create their own problem and find the expression for it, but that might have
been an overwhelming task for Bill and his partner since neither feel comfortable with the new
concepts. Lastly, presenting the posters incited nervousness and nothing else. If Bill felt
successful in his knowledge he might have felt comfortable but he didnt have a firm grasp of the
content and he couldnt rely on his partner to carry them through this activity like he usually
does.
III. Effective Strategies
I have revised my thinking about the motivational strategy that most applies to Bill
because of the observations completed. I first thought that the Self-Determination Theory was
most applicable, but now I am thinking the Social Cognitive Theory makes the most sense for
Bill, specifically the concept of Self-Efficacy.
Self-Efficacy, simply put, is the belief in oneself to successfully complete a task. In the
instances where Bills performance was strong, like reading book clubs, Bill was able to see
himself as a learner. The fact that he didnt like reading didnt play into whether or not he
completed the work or participated. It was the belief that he could do it at a proficient level. I
believe that creating activities with a focus on self-efficacy development will prove to be the
most beneficial in the long run.
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Bill was told by his mother that school is hard for him and it will always be hard.
Without knowing, the message that Bill received was most likely along the lines of, I expect
you to perform at this level. Bill is working against a diagnosis of a learning disability and
attention difficulties, but he proved he can be an invested student when he receives positive
feedback, either from evaluating his own performance or through other people. Bill fell into his
old patterns of letting others dominate and ultimately make the decisions in cooperative learning
situations when he felt inadequate, or when he felt like he could not successfully complete a task.
Carol Ann Tomlinson (2001) provides us with specific ways to help all of our students
and her suggestions match the needs of Bill. First, Tomlinson reminds educators to celebrate the
strengths of our struggling students. They spend so much time during the school day having to
focus on their weaknesses. This means that we need to learn about the strengths and interests of
our students so that we can pull from that information when planning activities so that students
are able to draw on their strengths and interests to complete an activity. The beginning of the
year should start with activities that allow us to learn about our students and for our students to
learn about us. Specifically, teachers should prioritize understanding students multiple
intelligences (Gardner, 1983).
Tomlinson affirms, A strong sense of self-efficacy comes not from being told were
terrific, but rather from our own recognition that weve accomplished something we believed
was beyond us, something that is essential for all teachers to remember. With the
understanding of multiple intelligence strengths of our students, we can create activities that
address the strengths of our struggling students so they are more invested, or the strengths of our
strong students so they can be student models. In Bills case, by tapping into his strengths his
self-efficacy may be higher at the start of an activity and increase throughout it.
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Visuals will support Bills understanding when it comes to Reading Comprehension.
Modeling the writing assignment and teaching points will help Bill focus on his what he needs to
do. Both of these things will allow Bill to feel like he can approach new content and
demonstrate his understanding successfully. Bill is a physical guy, so tactile learning situations
are most effective. He will gain more from group or paired work in comparison to individual
work, but teachers need to be very thoughtful about who Bill is working with. It will not be
helpful for Bill to be with strong, dominant students. He should be with students who perform at
his level to reinforce that he is not the only person who feels unsure about what they are doing
and he can feel good about what he is doing, which will improve his self-efficacy.
Two final strategies that Tomlinson suggests that I think are ideal for Bill and his
learning profile are providing clear objectives and goals prior to the start of a new unit or
concept. Many students have a lot of background knowledge about different areas, and when
they share those ideas in class it can be confusing for students who are not sure what the teacher
wants them to know. By having the objectives, Bill can self-assess to see if he is on track. The
second strategy that can be incorporated in every class throughout the day is to reinforce specific
successes in learning when possible. Bill responds immediately to positive feedback and I
believe that with greater confidence and self-efficacy Bill will enjoy school, take more risks in
his learning, and perform at a higher level.
IV. Conclusion
My case study on Bill has opened my eyes to student motivation in general. For students
this age, self-efficacy plays a major role in their learning and I am now more conscious of the
motivating strategies I am including in my lessons. Ive developed my understanding of
extrinsic and intrinsic motivators more and I am more cautious when it comes to extrinsic
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motivators. I want my students to develop long term, positive student skills that will help them
throughout their schooling so I dont want students to lose sight of the learning and focus on
earning a treat or prize.
I believe that it is important for teachers to learn about their students at the start of the
school year so that plans can be tailored to strengths and interests for optimum engagement and
retention of new content. A second strategy that is ideal for this age group is providing
meaningful praise. Children in the fifth grade are beginning puberty and are trying to figure out
who they are. Those things are scary and can make one doubt him or herself. Praise provides
children with the knowledge that they are doing well, they are being recognized, and someone is
proud of them.

References

Anderman, E., Anderman, L. (2010) Classroom Motivation (1
st
ed) Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson.
Cherry, K. (n.d.) What is self efficacy? About.com. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm.
Edutopia Staff (n.d.) Why integrate technology into the curriculum?: The reasons are many.
Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction.
Gardner, Howard (1983), Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York,
NY: Basic Books.
Tomlinson, C. (2001) How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (2
nd
ed).
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.