Psychology of Learning Essay Example

a focus on self-improvement. In contrast, performance-oriented goals are centered around showing ability, obtaining recognition, and comparing oneself to others in order to be the best or surpass them. Essentially, learners with mastery goals are motivated by acquiring new knowledge and skills while performance-oriented learners strive to come out on top and demonstrate their superiority.

The student mentioned that her active participation in class helps her learn more, which is relevant to the situation. She does not care about seeking the teacher's attention, rather she speaks up and poses questions as this improves her comprehension. However, the teacher interpreted her involvement as an attempt to impress him and gain better grades.

From a mastery learner's perspective, the student's goal was to improve herself, but the teacher misinterpreted her actions as showing off to classmates and striving to be the best. This misunderstanding resulted in a loss of motivation for the student, which will impede her progress towards self-improvement. Looking at it from an intrinsic/self-determination theory approach, this situation highlights the importance of understanding the various motivations that drive students.

Ryan and Deci (2000, p.54) explore the factors behind motivation, determining whether it originates from within or from external sources. The motivation's orientation, according to the authors, relates to the underlying attitudes and goals that inspire actions. Ryan and Deci concentrate on intrinsic motivation and examine how it may be weakened. Both the Cognitive Evaluation Theory and Self-determination Theory, as proposed by Ryan and Deci, are highly applicable to the given case.

According to the article, cognitive evaluation theory suggests that interpersonal events and structures (such as rewards, communications, and feedback) can increase intrinsic motivation by satisfying the

need for competence. The student's intrinsic motivations in the example provided are uncertain.

We can infer that this student consistently participates in all of her classes and has a high level of intrinsic motivation. However, the lecturer's comments seem to have decreased her natural curiosity and motivation. According to Ryan and Deci (2000), students who are excessively controlled may lose initiative and have difficulty learning, particularly when the material is intricate or involves creative thinking.

59) According to Ryan and Deci, external factors can impact a person's motivation and cause them to shift from an internalized value system to an external regulation mode. This is particularly relevant in the context of mentoring relationships, where the mentor's control can undermine the individual's sense of value for the activity. Additionally, the article suggests that creating a sense of belongingness and connectedness within a group is crucial for promoting internalizations.

According to Ryan and Deci (2000: p. 64), student's acceptance of classroom values is dependent upon feeling respected and cared for by the teacher. The lecturer in question appears to be neglecting the establishment of a sense of belongingness and connectedness to the group, but it could be argued that she is trying to create such a sense by reminding the students that others will also have an opportunity to ask questions. The situation can be analyzed from the perspective of expectancy x value theory, which has been influential on other theories of achievement motivation.

Pioneered by Atkinson in the late 1950’s, this approach suggests that success is dependent on the expectancy and difficulty of a task. Atkinson's theory emphasizes that people are impacted by both expectancy and value, meaning they

need to anticipate performing well while also valuing the task's outcome. Recent research has placed greater emphasis on self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation.

Atkinson's explanations of expectancy and value, while they have been addressed in more depth by other theorists, are relatively restricted. When there is little hope for success and little worth attributed to it, motivation decreases. Similarly, when both expectancy and value are elevated, Atkinson's equation-based theory suggests that motivation arises. In the specific situation described below, the speaker has undeniably reduced both her expectancy and value.

The lecturer unintentionally implied that students should not ask too many questions, be passive, and not enjoy understanding the material by telling her not to ‘hog the floor’. The implications are detrimental to the entire class because the student who reported the incident noticed a change in behavior from others in the class who did not want to appear to be ‘hogging the floor’ after the comment was made. From the standpoint of expectancy x value, this remark most likely affected expectancy, causing the student who was targeted to experience a decrease in motivation. It is likely that the student was intrinsically motivated, and using Atkinson’s formula, we can infer that the lecturer's comment decreased their motivation.

In terms of Atkinson's theory and the example provided, it is noteworthy that both expectancy and value were influenced. The learning that occurred in the situation involved the student gaining a sense of independence as a result of the professor's comment. It can be assumed that the student had many unanswered questions and had to find answers on her own since she stopped commenting and asking questions. Although she

was a diligent and motivated student, her desire to understand and question may have been slightly affected by the professor's insensitive comment from the professor's perspective. The motives behind the professor's comment are unknown, but it is possible that she did not express her wishes in a gentle manner. However, it is likely that the student's desire to process material actively and understandingly did not diminish due to one incident.

This student has learned that others have similar learning needs in the given situation. Verbalizing understandings and questions is beneficial for everyone's learning. The lecturer may have intended to express genuine concern for students, but did so poorly. Asking questions is crucial in a learning environment like ours.

It is possible that the lecturer had good intentions in the given situation, but external factors such as a bad day or irritability may have affected the phrasing of the comment. Additionally, the concept of limits on attentional resources and their impact on the learning process will be described, including an example. Attentional resources refer to the amount of attention available for specific tasks.

Attentional resources for individuals are limited, which means that they can only handle a specific number of mental processes or elements for a task. The learning process is influenced by these limits, and there is a relationship between the two. McDaniel et al (2000) suggest that interest can also affect the limits of attentional resources.

In essence, a student who takes an interest in a topic can handle more information with less effort. Consequently, they can engage in more mental activities as comprehension and retention require less of their attentional capacity. This facilitates learning as

the topic remains within the scope of their limited attentional resources. Conversely, the learning experience can shape attentional limitations by requiring varying degrees of cognitive engagement from the learner.

When information processing demands are high during learning, it may require extending limits, potentially affecting comprehension abilities. In contrast, when attention demands are low, students are more likely to comprehend and understand the material immediately. Various media forms can supplement traditional teaching methods and illustrate the idea of attentional limits on learning. According to McDaniel et al (2000), high interest results in reduced attentional demands. Thanks to technology, teachers can use multimedia resources that students find more engaging than typical textbooks.

One effective method to stimulate students' interest is through the use of computers. This approach reduces the demand for their attention and improves comprehension. Personally, I am the type of student who benefits from engaging with interactive materials in order to better understand the subject matter.

As a mastery learner, I value my interest in the subject matter, as opposed to just getting a good grade. Therefore, I find it challenging to rely solely on long lecture notes or chapters, as my interest wanes and consequently so does my focus and comprehension. Through past experience, I have discovered that interactive resources motivate me to study and increase my understanding of the topic at hand.

3) Locate a comment that was stated during class, reproduce the comment, clarify the intent behind the statement made by the author, and respond. 3.1) The following comment was made: "Is there a narrow distinction between the concepts of self-efficacy and expectancy?"

2) The comment is discussing the expectancy x value theory and how

it relates to the fine line between self-efficacy and expectancy. The question of how to separate these concepts within a theoretical framework is raised, along with inconsistencies in some of the related concepts that are worth questioning.

3) My understanding of self-efficacy in a student is that they believe success is possible even after experiencing setbacks. When self-efficacy is high, it suggests that intrinsic motivation is also high, as it would be in the given example where the motivation on the expectancy x value equation would be intrinsic. Additionally, a mastery-oriented learner tends to have a naturally higher self-efficacy. However, I have personally struggled with the relationship between expectancy x value and motivation, and how it relates to students who are already mastery oriented.

After considering various theories, including the expectancy x value theory and thinking about the example of the student and the lecturer, I have concluded that self-efficacy plays a vital role in intrinsic motivation. The expectancy x value equation appears incomplete as it neglects the impact of self-efficacy on these values. Even if a student has a low expectancy of success, if they are self-efficacious, they will likely remain intrinsically motivated.