Introduction

This article delves into the concept of motivation, exploring its underlying attributes and their impact on self-efficacy. It presents a comprehensive model that illustrates these attributes and their interconnected relationships. Additionally, the article provides practical procedures to foster motivation that ultimately leads to self-efficacy and mitigates maladaptive behaviors. Furthermore, it offers valuable suggestions for parents and educators on how to encourage children and young adults to develop effective life long learning strategies.

Motivation is the force that drives a person to do something. It includes emotions such as: hope, initiative, drive, intensity, self-efficacy, and persistence; that inhibit, neutralize, or promote goal-directed behaviors.

Therefore, the purpose for motivating ourself and others is to find the emotions, which will encourage and sustain us, or them, to acquire expectations (hope) to be able to set goals, have enough self-efficacy to develop the necessary ability, and to find access to enough opportunities to learn what is necessary to achieve our goals.

Motivation drives our actions and we learn from the results of those actions. While learning theory describes the mental processes used to explain all learning endeavors. The mental state of an individual approaching a learning task is shaped by their motivation, which, in turn, affects their level of engagement and the extent to which they aspire to achieve mastery. Dreikurs and Cassel (1972) provide an analysis of misbehaving children and their maladaptive self-limiting behaviors, which hinder learning and perpetuates a self-fulfilling prophecy that limits motivation toward mastery oriented behaviors. Their analysis offers valuable insight for understanding misbehaving learners, but it is limited in its scope due to its exclusive focus on maladaptive behavior.
In contrast, Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop provide a more comprehensive descriptions of learner behaviors during learning. They identify four modes that learners typically employ in various learning situations. Their modes vary with engagement and agency, which are driven with motivation and self-fficacy.

Emotions, which are internal.

Learners choose to learn or escape from learning depending on their needs (see Maslow's hierarchy of needs), how they are cared for, their expectations, hope for success, ability to set goals, their self-efficacy, and their opportunities for success or failure.

If learners believe in their self-efficacy to learn, they will be hopeful and eagerly choose to be active and learn new things, both in and outside of school.

If they believe they are incapable of learning and powerless to change, they will lose hope for success and choose to be inactive, not involved, and withdraw from learning experiences and their performance is reduced.

In actuality people are somewhere between two extremes of empowered and hopeful or helpless and hopeless. This is represented by the line between these two extremes in this diagram.

Outstanding teachers use interactions that demonstrate they care and want their learners to be successful. They do so when they invite, encourage, and assist them to set achieveable goals, which motivate their participation by giving them hope of success.

Motivation, achieved with encouragement and manipulation of the environment to introduce and assist learners with new experiences, starts by accessing the learners current understandings and challenging them to achieve with progressive learning experiences, while maintaining high expectations, assisting them to resolve conflicts, providing hope of their success, and supporting not only their learning, but their learning of how to learn.

Learner's involvement is crucial. And different degrees of involvement can vary depending on motivation. With a maximum level of motivation to learn, the learner is in charge of their engagement and is capable of minds-on exploration of a topic for the purpose of deep understanding. The diagram below illustrates this in dark green.

The circle to the left, in lighter green, symbolizes a lower level of motivation to learn, where the learner is curious about what is happening and following along for reasons other than deep understanding. Reasons like, staying out of trouble, passing, getting a good grade, graduating, or gaining social approval.

The three other circles represent different levels of motivation and types of involvement. The yellow represents where a learner isn't engaged because instruction isn't meeting their needs. It may be below their ability or they just don't see the relavance of the topic. They can, become curious or an explorative learner from time to time. The redish circles represent learners who are not motivated to learning and will use self-limiting behaviors to avoid failure or escape. It is possible to move to the green, but usually requires coaching.

Learning is an integral part of the total body and brain physiology. This physiology is controlled not only by the intellectual responses a person is capable of making, but the perceptual and emotional responses they make consciously or subconsciously, which are beyond their control.

However, both conscious and subconscious thoughts influence their actions or inactions. Responses, which are not singular in nature, but are connected to other emotions, which affect their expectations (hopes), ability to set goals, self-efficacy, and opportunities for success or failure. Connections like waves or explosions that ripple change throughout the body creating internal changes that initiate and accompany external observable behaviors.

The point is, we must recognize that what appears as a simple external response, is accompanied by internal chemical and neurological responses that have been constructed by each individual from a combination of many internal interactions. Interactions based on experiences each person has had over their lifetime. Starting with the genetic material inherited from their parents and their interactions with their environment, even before conception. These interactions, both positive and negative, have created the individual each of us is over our lifetime.

As teachers we find learners are acceptable to change if we can find what sparks their interests or motivates them. To identify influences on what motivates change, let's consider variables identified by two notable historical theories.

William Glasser's, Choice Theory.

Identifies five variables he claims influence the choices people make. They are:

1. Love,
2. Power,
3. Freedom,
4. Fun, and
5. Survival.

James G. Wilson's, Moral Sense.

Identifies four variables he claims influence the moral decisions people make. They are:

1. Sympathy,
2. Fairness,
3. Self-control, and
4. Duty.

Learners engage in activities and attempt to learn a behavior they value, or feel is worthwhile, and hope they can use successfully. As they participate or with draw from participation, they establish an understanding of their abilities (self-efficacy), which they will use to judge success in their participation in future activities, which they will use to determine the likelihood and level of their success. This is their hopefulness of success which is based on their expectations, ability to set goals, self-efficacy, ability to learn, and what they see as opportunities for success or failure.

Research Related to Attributes of Success and Failure

• Learners who perceive the cause of their failure as a lack of effort or poor selection of a strategy are more likely to be motivated to set positive goals for similar tasks in the future.
• Learners who perceive a cause of their failure as a result of bad luck or conditions beyond their control are less likely to be motivated to set positive goals to learn.
• Success builds on success leading to intrinsic motivation. self-confidence, and self-efficacy increasing learner's efforts, risk taking, and hence learning.
• Failure that follows failure reduces intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy decreasing student's efforts, risk taking, and learning.
• Extrinsic motivation may increase motivation creating a desire to achieve the reward, but usually not a motivation to learn.
• Over time learners who fail will learn maladaptive behaviors to avoid certain tasks, which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy
• Learners success is not enough. They must personally know what contributed to their success. They must understand it was or wasn't effort, strategy, luck, ability, or the task.
• Most often effort is a condition for success. However, many times learners equate effort with inability in that if a person has to use a lot of effort, then they are less able, than those who appear to require less effort to achieve similar goals. We must understand and help learners to understand that failure, is not always caused by lack of effort, and effort alone will not insure success. The idea, "if it takes a long time to master a problem, then the person must be dumb," must be overcome.
• All people learn. However, they may not be motivated to learn what we want them to learn. We need to explore what students know and what they want to learn and then discuss with them how to learned it. Remembering it has to start from what is known and what is valued. If it is video games, then that must be the place to start.
• Effective teachers use verbal interactions (positive statements, encouragement, specific praise, and feedforward - Billy Sharp) to help learners decrease maladaptive behaviors, set goals for success, create plans to attain them, and achieve initial and continual success by enabling students to learn positive behaviors to become successful and understand how effort and ability increase; knowledge, skill, and use of learning strategies.
• In Martin Seligman's experiment with dogs, two groups of dogs were shocked.
  • The first group could escape the shock, and the second group couldn't escape. When the second group was moved so that they could escape the shock.
    They just sat there and didn't learn to escape.
• Studies have shown that people's brains are working against them as their neurons do not communicate as much during times of learned helplessness.
• Choice to explore. Less than 10% of students report having opportunities to explore their interests in school, with a significantly lower percentage of 4% in middle and high school.
  Exploration was defined as opportunities for the development of independent thought, the acquisition of knowledge related to personal interests, the autonomy to select methods of learning, and the participation in decision-making processes that impact their lives.
• There is research of learners brains that shows that cognitive networks activation decreases when the emotional networks are activated. Often why corrections and suggestions backfire. The emotional network is getting the attention.
• When high school kids were told that stress could enhance their performance; and intelligence isn't fixed but can be developed, they performed 14% higher in math and science classes. Stress may be uncomfortable but manage it. Get your butterflies in formation!
• Environmental factors during the early years of development can have profound and lasting effects on a child's executive functions and emotional development, affecting socioemotional regulation, especially if these factors are deleterious and prolonged (M. Wade etal. Dev. Sci. 2024. ). Additional there are indications of more subtle effects on the development of executive functions, even in the prenatal and early postnatal periods (A Rifkin-Graboi etal. 2013). These early life impacts could contribute to the increased prevalence of anxiety later in life, triggered by current social and environmental challenges.
• A Hugh amount of research shows the best predictor of life satisfaction is the quality of the relationship we have.
• Caring relationships are very important to young people.
• Studies show that people who do not learn to regulate there emotions are more likely to become self-destructive through sadness, anxiety, worry, depression, and guilt. Or be aggressive toward others with angry outbursts, bullying, and defiance.
• Children who experience emotional coaching develop strategies to cope and self regulate. They are less angry, misbehave less, and are more optimistic. And are more able to deal with social struggles.

Research related to engagement

• Student engagement fosters higher attendance rates, academic performance, and aspirations. It leads to improved test scores, increased graduation rates, and enhanced life satisfaction. Engaged students exhibit more prosocial behavior, higher college attendance, and improved retention rates. Additionally, they demonstrate lower levels of depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, substance abuse, and delinquency.
• Parents' perceptions of their child's school views are often rated as more positive than their child's actual perceptions, which can significantly distort what parents attribute as causes of success and failure.
• David Yeager's research demonstrated that when students received the same feedback on their essays but different instructions on how to utilize it, their performance varied substantially. One group was encouraged to use the feedback to achieve a better grade, while the other group was informed that the feedback was provided due to high expectations and their potential for success. The expectations group revised their essays twice as frequently and corrected twice as many errors compared to the group focused solely on improving grades.
• Parents who actively engage with their children by asking them several times a week about their school activities and providing support saw their children perform 16 points higher in mathematics compared to those who did not engage in such interactions. These results persisted even after controlling for socioeconomic factors.
• Children who have a strong relationship with a parent, teacher, or neighbor are 12 times more likely to flourish than those without it. (Christine Bethell)
• Johnmarshall Reeve conducted controlled experiments and found learners did better when given autonomy with choice. They put more effort in homework, did better, feel more confident, and when teachers saw their effort, they gave them even more choice, and in return they felt recognized, more interested, more energized, and more of an explorer.
• Herbert Walberg found what parents talk about and do with their kids are key drivers of students knowing how to engage more efficiently and knowing how to learn. Such as when they encourage everyday events such as: reading, listening, viewing and talking about their experiences with critical analysis. As well as involvement in hobbies, crafts, music, art, and other similar activities . This better engagement is supported in over 450r studies.
• Herbert Walberg discovered that the conversations and activities parents engage in with their children are pivotal factors in their student learning. Understanding how to engage more effectively and develop effective learning strategies is crucial. These strategies encompass encouraging everyday events, fostering discussions, reading, listening, and critical analysis. Additionally, hobbies, crafts, music, and numerous other studies play a significant role.
• Teaching young children how to play. Play with blocks and others toys along with self-talk, creative story telling, pretending cooking, acting, singing, exploring the unknown, and nature walks, are all essential components of becoming self- learners.
• Exploration makes more and stronger brain connections (Neurological and hormonal changes.)

Summary

Variables that affect engagement in learning

• What they choose to do.
• How they feel: safe, belong, interest,
• When they choose to engage.
• Being able to ask for help.
• Knowing wher they can seek advice?
• Being able to set and achieve meaningful goals.
• Know themselves, How do I learn best? What distracts me? What motivates me? What do I care about? What are my goals? How do I over come obstacles?
• Evaluate their own thinking and learning (metacognition).
• Know strategies for wanting to learn.
• Know how you work and learn.
• Know how to teach yourself.

Variable for disengagement

• Disengagement often has nothing to do with defiance or act to disrespect authority.
• Hunger
• Homelessness
• Death of parent, peer, or caregiver,
• Parental divorce or family disharmony
• Violence, bullying.

Empowering learners to become learners

Background

A learning cycle is how we learn, it creates cognitive connections.

A learning to learn cycle is what we know about how to learning. If we ask people to describe what a good learner does. Many will answer, what it is to be a good listener, rather than a good learner.

What good learners say about their learning how to learn

We are always trying to figure out how we can learn from our experiences, how to go around barriers, ask for advice, and when to dig in. We learn, because agency and self-efficacy is central to living a good life. Knowing how to set goals, use mastery oriented behaviors, explore, solve problems, learn, and repeat.

Learning is active not passive so we recommend the following actions with a three step process:

1. What are my goals to be a good learner?
2. Where am I now in attaining my goals?
3. How can I close any gaps?

Actions to learn

1. Be aware of learning opportunities: Keep an eye out for chances to learn and get ready to take advantage of them. Develop a mindset that is open to continuous learning.
2. Get ready to be challenged: Anticipate potential stressors. Know that being disequilibrated by a question, event, thought, or action is the beginning of a learning adventure. So get your butterflies in formation and let them push you outside your comfort zone. Embrace the discomfort and see it as an opportunity for growth. Playing it safe isn't productive and doesn't encourage exploration. Remember, pushing through hard things is how we learn.
3. Plan your learning journey: Take a look at the resources available to you and figure out how you can use them to learn. Review what you already know and make sure you understand the assignment and what's expected of you. If you're feeling stuck, don't hesitate to ask for help.
• Do you have a vision for being a good learner?
• Do you know how to do what is expected?
• How will you clarify problems?
• Is there something you might need help with?
• What concerns do you have?
• If you slip into a learning pit, how will you escape?
• What might you do if you need help?
• Who do you ask or where do you go?
• What are you going to do?
• What might you need to anticipate as you work with others?
• What might be a solution?
• How do you communicate effectively with clarity and precision with others?
• How can you create, imagine, and innovate new ideas and alternative solutions as apropriate?
• How do you decide which might be best for you?
• Review problem solving and decission making
• Embrace responsibility and risks as part of a productive journey.
4. Stay on track: Keep an eye on your progress and make sure you're using your time wisely. don't let distractions get in the way and stay focused on your goals. IF you find you are getting off track, seek help or consider how to change the task to be successful. Remember, struggle is where we learn, so don't be afraid to push yourself and persist.
5. Evaluate and reflect: Consider if there are any last minute changes needed to complete your goal. Think about your thinking (metacognitions) and performance, strengths, weaknesses, planning, monitoring, reflecting. Relate your performance to how you feel about what you learned. Enjoy the satori and reward the struggle and successes.
6. Learn from your experiences: After you've completed your learning journey, take some time to reflect and evaluate what worked and what didn't. Think about what challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Also, reflect on how you managed stress and set goals. What communication and social skills did you use if you worked with others or sought support from others. These are valuable lessons to use to continue to improve your future learning endeavors. Remember, learning how to learnis a lifelong process, and it's okay to make mistakes. Just keep pushing forward, don't give up, and enjoy the satori!