© 2013 Matthew Deevers –Reprinting permitted for educational purposes

Universally Human

Foundations for motivation

that cross cultural barriers

Matthew Deevers

www.matthewdeevers.com

© 2013 Matthew Deevers –Reprinting permitted for educational purposes

Although culture can be a barrier to effective instructional relationships and student

motivation, there are some universal needs that must be met in order for all students to be

motivated. Developments within the study of motivation in recent years led to the

conclusion that motivation to learn is an internal process, and that intrinsic motivation

factors are far more significant than extrinsic motivation factors (Deci & Ryan, 1992;

Black & William, 1998). Conditions such as a sense of inclusion, positive attitude,

enhanced meaning and a sense of competence have been suggested as key components in

classroom and workshop environments for children and adults (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg,

1995; Wlodkowski, 1997; Wlodkowski, 2003). The connection between motivation and

behavior can be explained in the following way:

students’ motivation is crucial to their school success … many of the important psychological processes that mediate students’ persistence, choice, and classroom behavior … include students’ competence-related beliefs, control beliefs, achievement values, achievement goal orientations, and social and academic goals (Wentzel & Wigfield, 1998, p. 169).

In short, all students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, must believe they

are able to succeed at a task (self-efficacy, sense of competence); they must believe that

they are in control of their own success (internal locus of control, autonomy); they must

see value in completing a task; and they must see that the completion of a task is socially

desirable (relatedness). When these conditions are met, students will be more engaged in

their learning, since “engagement is the visible outcome of motivation” (Wlodkowski &

Ginsberg, 1995, p. 17). The student must make a meaningful connection between

himself and the learning (relatedness), and then believe that the learning (achievement) is

within reach. Though simply stated, that establishment of connection and beliefs is

critical for all students’ success.

© 2013 Matthew Deevers –Reprinting permitted for educational purposes

According to Pintrich (2003), “these needs are assumed to be innate for all

humans in all cultures and apply across all situations, and if individuals can’t satisfy these

needs, then their motivation as well as a host of other cognitive, affective, and behavioral

indicators of adaptive functioning will suffer” (p. 670). Though these conditions are

assumed to be universal for individuals, cultural differences can lead to significant

changes in the definitions of such words as “meaningful” or “relevant”. The

responsibility of the teacher is to encourage engagement among all students by “creating

a favorable disposition toward the learning experience through personal relevance and

choice” (Wlodkowski, 2003, p. 40).

Students from low-income families and neighborhoods, though seldom referred to as

members of a different culture, certainly experience an incongruity between the

achievement ideology of schools and the realities of their lives. Students who perceive

an incongruity between the educational expectations set before them (what schools say is

important and achievable) and their own assessments of their future potential and

opportunities for success (what they see other family and friends have been able to

accomplish) may tend to experience frustration, and decreases in motivation and life

satisfaction (Wilson, Henry & Peterson, 1997; MacLeod, 1995). Additionally, teachers

tend to have lower expectations and feel a decreased sense of responsibility for student

achievement when the majority of their students come from low-income families; this

effect has been seen regardless of race (Diamond, Randolph & Spillane, 2004).

Research consistently supports the belief that honoring and recognizing student

culture and language, rather than ignoring it, are effective means for increasing

motivation and performance (Chan, 2001; Alanis, 2000; Yamauchi, 2003; Dill & Boykin,

© 2013 Matthew Deevers –Reprinting permitted for educational purposes

2000; Stuart & Volk, 2002). The burden for establishing such environments falls on the

teacher (Brown, 2003). A clear understanding of the social, economic, linguistic and

religious foundations of one’s students is perhaps the best way to establish effective

culturally congruent learning environments. However, should that prove to be an

overwhelming task for any teacher, keeping in mind the four-part framework for

culturally responsive teaching – establishing inclusion; developing positive attitude;

enhancing meaning; and engendering competence – will always point the teacher in the

right direction.

Discussion Questions & Extension Activity 1. In what ways does your teaching meet the needs for student motivation mentioned

in the first paragraph of this paper? 2. Consider the statements made regarding students from low-income families and

motivation in school. In your own experience, has this been true? How much is this an issue in this school district?

3. The paper identifies what are considered innate, universal needs for motivation.

Reflect on your own learning and work experiences. When those needs have been met for you, what has your motivation been like? What about when they are not met? What conclusions might you draw about the importance of such factors in student engagement and motivation in classrooms?

a. How should lessons be structured so that those specific needs are addressed and met during the instructional process?

i. Pick a partner (or two) and come up with a list of strategies that teachers could/should use to address students' needs for motivation, according to the paper.

© 2013 Matthew Deevers –Reprinting permitted for educational purposes

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