Shaping Motivated Children
“Motivation is the key that unlocks the treasure chest of education.
Without it, all one has is an ornate, yet empty, box.”
John Dewey, 1929. (Simmons, 2024)
All teaching must address the feeling competence (or lack of) felt by a student. Feeling competent is literally the foundation for all learning. There are volumes of books, published studies, dedicated theories, and college courses in both psychology and education, that speak to this very important subject. The academic word for a feeling of competence is self-efficacy. The Oxford Dictionary (2024) defines efficacy as, capable, competent, and able. So having self-efficacy describes a person who believes they are capable of figuring out how to do something, and then following the steps to make it happen (Bandura, 1977).
Why is a childs’ self-efficacy important enough to warrant its own blog?
It’s important because it is the non-negotiable foundation for all real learning. A child can’t be, and won’t be motivated to do anything if they don’t already feel like there is a possibility that they can do it successfully.
So how does a child learn self-efficacy?
In a nutshell they learn it by experiencing success. When children do many small things well they begin to believe that they can do other things too. Believing they will ultimately achieve what they set out to do fuels motivation. It is motivation that stimulates a child to try something new, and to continue trying when a task becomes difficult.
Technically speaking, how is motivation developed in a child?
Bandura (1977) suggests that the primary way people learn is by interacting with others.
(1) We see something being done. (2) We pay attention to what was done and the outcome. (3) We remember it and think about it. (4) We try to do it ourself (or decide it should not be done). (5) The outcome of our effort/decision is reinforced by others and by ourself. This reinforcement builds motivation, the willingness to do something, or to avoid doing something (Bandura, 1977; McLeod, 2024).
So what is the golden ring here? What are we striving for?
In the life of the child, a sense of self-efficacy and self-motivation are crucial denominators. They make or break a childs desire to succeed in the classroom and beyond. And for young children, the development of self-efficacy and self-motivation are dependent on the learning environment designed by the teaching adult. Classroom specifics will be discussed in another blog. Here it is important to note that lots and lots of small frequent successes, each acknowledged by surrounding adults and peers, are key to developing a sound feeling of self-efficacy and self-motivation. “Fake” praise/reinforcement does more harm than good. Children know the difference. The point isn’t to praise the child, the point is to acknowledge successful thinking and problem solving. The point is developing in a child the feeling that they can figure out how to solve a problem, and then carry out the steps to make it happen (Bandura, 1977). The point is to develop a child who is not demoralized by failure, but mentally can bounce ready to tackle new challenges. The point is to develop motivated children. The most critical step in developing motivation, is establishing a sense within a child that they are capable, competent, and able. That doesn’t happen without supportive adults and peers.
John Dewey (1859-1952) understood that children are not passive learning receptacles, but rather need to successfully interact with others to develop a feeling of accomplishment and motivation. By watching and listening to others in their learning environment, children are provided with behavior/results to reproduce. When a child realizes they can also attain the same results, the positive acknowledgement by peers and adults motivates the child to try other things. With the support of peers and adults these learning experiences develop persistence and the ability to bounce back from difficulty. And this is how self-efficacy and self-motivation begin.
Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (McCleod, 2024). Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html#What-is-Social-Learning-Theory
Great Pedagogical Thinkers - John Dewey. pedagogy4change.org (2024)
https://www.pedagogy4change.org/john-dewey/
John Dewey: Democracy and Education (originally published 1916) https://nsee.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/KnowledgeCenter/BuildingExpEduc/BooksReports/10.%20democracy%20and%20education%20by%20dewey.pdf
Self Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change (Bandura, 1977).
https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/news/pdfs/Bandura%201977.pdf
John Dewey on Self-Education (Simmons, M., 2024) Blockbuster Blueprint with Michael Simmons
https://blockbuster.thoughtleader.school/p/john-dewey-on-self-education
