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Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation: Are Grades An Incentive?

1075 Words5 Pages
Are Grades an Incentive? Motivation is divided into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is defined as “environmentally created reason to initiate or persist in an action which arises from environmental incentives and consequences” (Reeve, 2001, p. 119). In simple words extrinsic motivation is engaging in a task in order to receive a consequence (usually a reward) at the end. Therefore, studies show that grades serve as being a positive incentive in the lives of students. Students are motivated by the incentive of receiving a good grade before handing in any assignment or while writing a test. Grades are so powerful that they judge a student’s standpoint academically and function as whether or not a student can get scholarship. A questionnaire done by Emil Stan for International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology, concluded that 60% teachers said that students were motivated by grades so that they learn. Whereas, 38% [of teachers] said no students are not motivated by grades and the other 2% had answers such as often no and sometimes yes (Educational Leadership: New Roles, New Relationships: Where). The real question is, what are grades for? What motivates students? How do grades serve as a positive incentive? Students do not learn for pleasure; there is a motive behind why they learn. The same questionnaire stated that 26% of the 130 teachers that were interviewed said their students learn for grades, 35% said because they must
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