Student empowerment and intrinsic motivation

Danny O'Connor, Former High School Principal, Dover Campus

The best way to improve performance and encourage excellence is to reward the good and punish the bad. This statement reflects the ‘carrot and stick’ mentality that was prevalent in the 20th century (and unfortunately still in some areas today) when much work was algorithmic and people were required to repeat the same task day in day out. The ability to follow a set of established instructions was valued and people were motivated by extrinsic factors in the form of a reward or punishment.

Advances in technology have largely negated the need for this type of algorithmic or routine work in many industries, and jobs of this nature now account for a much smaller percentage of the work force. The majority of our students at UWCSEA will move into careers that rely heavily on heuristic, or non-routine work, which is more conceptual. Heuristic work has a different set of challenges and our students will need to be able to demonstrate their ability to come up with solutions to complex problems.

The implications for education are significant as educational institutions across the world educate students today for an economy that will require them to be creative, critical thinkers that can communicate and collaborate effectively. Prominent author Daniel Pink (2009) uses 50 years of behaviour science to support his view that intrinsic motivation—the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing—is essential for high levels of creativity. He goes on to state that the ingredients of genuine motivation are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. His comments are supported by a cluster of recent behavioural scientific studies that indicate that “autonomous motivation promotes greater conceptual understanding, better grades, enhanced persistence at school and in sporting activities, higher productivity, less burnout, and greater levels of psychological wellbeing.”

If intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity, and controlling extrinsic motivation is detrimental to creativity, it should be our goal to create an environment for learning that gives students more autonomy to make their own decisions throughout their adolescent years. By genuinely empowering students to make informed decisions about what they choose to do in the High School, we can ensure that they are engaged and intrinsically motivated to learn. In essence, this was the underlying rationale for the recent change in the transition process for Grade 10 students moving into Grade 11.

Historically, the ‘Statement of Eligibility’ (SoE) process (a process employed on the Dover Campus prior to August 2014) determined the specific subjects that students were allowed to study at the IB Diploma level. The current transition process (introduced in August 2014 to the Dover Campus) allows students to make informed choices about the subjects they wish to study as part of their IB Diploma package. Teachers, parents, Heads of Grade and University Advisors provide students with advice and guidance, but it is up to the students themselves to choose the combination of subjects that they wish to pursue in the Senior School. All students in Grade 10 who display a commitment to the values of the College are welcome to join Grade 11 and they no longer need to worry about not being offered a place in Grade 11.

The change in process has understandably alleviated a lot of the stress and anxiety associated with this process in the past. It is a positive step that gives students greater freedom and responsibility to make exciting decisions that will influence the pathways available to them when they leave the College. Above all, this new transition process connects to what we know is intrinsically motivating for students, which will lead to greater success and well-being through their High School years and beyond.

Sources

Azzam, A. Motivated to Learn: A Conversation with Daniel Pink.
Pink, Daniel H. Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us. Edinburgh: Canongate, 2010. Print.
Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Haesler, Dan. Still Trying to Find X. 
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset. London: Robinson, 2012. Print.
Dan Pink, RSA animate. (10 minutes)