Motivation and Goal Setting - Pintrich

From Ryan Alexander Nickoli (Feb 8, 2006 9:26 AM EST) Message I tried somthing last year with my classes that worked quite well to motivate students to do better on their tests. At the beginning of every unit, I gave them a goal sheet. On it they stated what they would like to achieve on the chapter/unit exam. They also listed several strategies on how to achieve their goal. Most students had realistic and attainable goals for each unit. I relate this back to Pintrich's idea of self regulation. They established a goal and then stated what they needed to do in order to reach that goal. Throughout the unit, each student met with me to discuss how they were doing on the strategies they set to meet their goal (monitoring). In addition to setting goals, strategies to meet the goal, and monitoring their progress thorughout the unit, I also had them complete a confidence rating sheet the day before the test. On it they put what percent they felt like they would get on the exam. They also stated reason why they felt like they would do well or poorly (self-reflection). Test scores throughout the year improved dramatically. I think it had a lot to do with setting goals, monitoring their progress, and then reflecting on how they felt like they would do. I strongly believe like they improved because they were motivated to do so, because they were holding themselves accountable to reach their goal. When they saw progress early on, they were motivated to continue it. Step 1: Goal sheet and listed strategies Step 2: monitor progress and revisit goals/strategies Step 3: Fill out confidence rating sheet day of test Step 4: Take test *It was real help to keep track via spreadsheets their goal score, confidence score, and actual test score. It was neat to see their performance displayed via graphs. From Curtis Jay Bonk (Feb 10, 2006 10:30 PM EST) Message Ryan, this is great!!!!!!!!!!!! You need to write this up. Ted Nelson has a book of 101 ways to motivate employees in corporate settings. I think this would be one great example for a book on 101 ways to motivate students in K-12 settings. Perhaps we need to create a Wikibook with those 101 ways. My other class is creating a wikibook. Humm..food for thought. I think your tracking of goals, and monitoring of progress will relate well to neo-Vygoskian techniques such as those you will soon read about from Vygotsky. There is a lot of power in such dynamic assessment and self-monitoring and ownership over ones own goals. In the corporate world, there is a increasing emphasis on employees creating their own goals and tracking them. Maybe Pres Bush needs to hire you to teach your method to everyone--nobody left behind. You might also read about cognitive-behavioral modification as this approach you outline is similar to that. It has external display of goals and metacognitive monitoring of them. Of course, reflection is powerful as well!!!! Good job. One of my favorite cases I have ever read. Write this up--for others in your school or beyond. Keep pushing it. Try to add to it. You might be surprised to find that if you delete one aspect of it, it will no longer work. See reciprocal teaching. By the way, Paul Pintrich died a couple of years back at a young age. I think he had a stroke while rising his bike. He was at the Univ of Michigan. Smart guy! Nice guy. Really too bad for this to happen. I liked his ideas. He created the MSLQ--the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. This instrument looked at both motivation and cognitive strategies of the learners. It is really useful is seeing the cognitive talents and motivations of your students and reassessing what you might do as a teacher and what the students might do as learners. You might read more for your blog. See: Pintrich, P.R. & DeGroot, E.V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 33-40. Pintrich, P.R., & Schrauben, B. (1992). Students motivational beliefs and their cognitive engagement in classroom academic tasks. In D.H. Schunk & J.L. Meece (Eds.). Student perceptions in the classroom (pp. 149-183). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pintrich, P.R., Smith, D.A., Garcia, T. & McKeachie, W.J. (1991). A manual for the use of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ). Ann Arbor:, Michigan: National Center for Research to improve Post Secondary Teaching and Learning (NCRIPTAL). The University of Michigan. Eric Document Reproduction Service, ED 338122. Pintrich, P.R., Smith, D.A., Garcia, T. & McKeachie W.J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801-813.