Introduction
Learning is a very difficult task that unless it is accompanied by motivation, the learner may not be able to achieve much from it (Esteves & Whitten, 2011). This statement is a true reflection of what learning is to the student. Many sayings have been developed in regard to the learning process. Eisenberg (2010) says that learning has very bitter roots, but the fruits are sweet.
As a student, learning may not mean much other than the suffering one has to undergo by waking up early, tiring the brain all day, receiving instructions and punishments, and coming home in the evening empty handed.
If not given the right information as to the need and importance of going to school, a student may not be in a position to see the relevance of doing so. A student therefore needs motivation in order to be able to withstand the daunting process of having to go to school every day and do all that partakes to being in school.
Schraw, Crippen, and Hartley (2006) define motivation as inspirational messages intended to influence the behavioral pattern of an individual. It is piece information given to one in order to encourage him or her to develop the right attitude towards a certain course of action. Motivation is the creation of the desire to achieve in an individual.
To develop this self-drive, one needs to be informed of how necessary it is to achieve the set goals and the direct benefits one would get by actively engaging in such an activity. Motivation comprises of an assortment of closely related values, interest, beliefs, and conducts.
Motivation largely depends on age, the environment one lives in, and the general beliefs of that society. What motivates a child who is about six years will be very different from what motivates a teenager (Johnson 2003).
Many educationists have strongly believed that learning as a process may not be very easy for the learner. It is therefore very important that one develops the right attitude towards the same if success is to be achieved. They all agree that this right attitude can only be developed if this learner has a constant motivation from people around him or her.
For a long time, it has always been a general belief among educationists that intrinsic motivation is more desirable to the learner and that it leads to better results in encouraging the learner than extrinsic motivation (Guay, Chanal, Ratelle, Marsh, Larose, & Boivin, 2010).
This scholar notes that as children go to school, they always have high expectations in life and from what the society always insist on, they believe that life is very interesting if one goes to school and excels. They believe that this is the only one sure way of achieving success in life.
As this child grows, it encounters various factors that would act as motivators and demotivators in equal measure. Some of such demotivating factors include those individuals who have persevered and finished their learning process but are not looking very successful in life.
After attaining the best grades in school, and reaching the level the learner is told he or she should reach in order to achieve in life, such individuals do not get the glamour and flamboyance that is always attached to such success in life.
Such a factor would seriously affect the learner negatively. It will make them believe that life is not all about learning and that those who have done their level best to attain the record best are getting as much of life’s frustration as those who bowed out of the system at early stages.
Researchers agree that motivation can be manipulated through various teaching practices in order to make the learner develop the right attitude toward the process of learning.
In the current society, motivating learners is a very difficult task. Technology has opened the world to new inventions and innovations. This comes with increase in knowledge. Children are exposed to a lot of information from print, mass, and social media. The learner may access any desirable information from the internet.
For this reason, they believe that whatever they are told by their teachers is not needful for they can access the same from other sources, especially the social media.
This put the people concerned at a very awkward state. Availability of Hollywood and other movies makes the classroom experience for these students very boring. They develop low capacity in decoding written words in whichever subject they undertake because they have developed the attitude that reading is boring.
This study aims at exploring different ways of promoting the initiation of the motivation process at the earliest age possible. It is a wandering inquiry research that involves teachers carrying out the task in a classroom setting within a specified time. The aim is to determine the affectivity of motivating students at an early stage in life, especially as early as the kindergarten stage.
There are a number of ways through which motivation among youngsters can be done, in order to develop the culture of reading at that early stage. It is important for the learner to develop self appreciation and the realization of the significance of reading in the long run.
It is important for these young individuals to be made aware of the potential they have within them, and how this potential, if directed towards the culture of reading, can result in very great achievements in one’s life.
The researcher is keen on ascertaining the importance of motivation on students and how best the process can be done in order to develop the culture of reading among student from an early stage of development. This has led the researcher to develop a wondering question to guide this study. How can teachers use audio books with text to effectively engage and motivate struggling students to read?
Rationale for Choosing the Wondering Question
Many individuals who at one point in life have had the privilege of conducting a teaching session, especially with young children would confirm that the process of teaching such youngsters is very challenging. For this, the students need constant encouragement to create the desire to read in them.
However, this becomes very challenging in case the student come from a poor family and the concerned teacher lacks prior information about this background. Therefore, the researcher developed this wondering question out of passion to improve the teaching strategies and techniques that would not only develop knowledge among the concerned individuals but also motivate them in their process of acquiring knowledge.
According to previous research, it has been realized that student motivation reduces with increase in age. As a student advances in age, the motivators continue to be irrelevant and the desire to read reduces. The researcher was therefore interested in designing a system that would ensure that the students remain constantly motivated as they advance in age.
Based on this, the researcher developed another wondering question which would act as a guide in the process of conducting this research. The wondering question is: What new strategies can one use to help motivate students to become excited about reading? How can the use of audiobooks with text effectively engage and motivate struggling students to read?
These wondering questions have been supported by a number of sub-questions in order to ensure that all areas of concern are effectively covered. One such sub-question was: what are the effects of allowing students to choose their own reading material when they are conducting their own private studies?
The researcher was interested in finding ways of developing students into becoming life long readers, always generating the desire to read from within themselves. Through this research, it is hoped that there will be enough insights on ways of developing this attitude among the learners.
Literature Review
Studies conducted in the recent past have shown that the greatest frustration among teachers is the fact that they have to deal with students who lack motivation to learn. These teachers have to develop a way through which such students will embrace the culture of reading as one of the basics in the learning process.
This has led many researchers to develop interest in finding ways of developing motivation among students in a classroom setup. The researcher sampled some of their works.
According to Schunk and Zimmerman (2007), motivation is a process that involves developing interest to achieve something that is within one’s range. It refers to developing the right attitude by an individual and the belief that success is a possibility if only the focus is kept, interest maintained and the right method employed. This scholar maintains that perception is another core value in the process of getting motivated.
If the perception towards a certain aspect is negative, then there will definitely be lack of motivation for the concerned individual. For this reason, it is very important to emphasize on both cognitive behaviors and noncognitive facets. This scholar defines academic motivation as pleasure of learning characterized by a mastery orientation, interest, perseverance, task-endogen, and academic challenges.
The study by Guay, Chanal, Ratelle, Marsh, Larose, and Boivin (2010) focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This scholar holds that intrinsic motivation is generated from within oneself, while extrinsic motivation is a drive generated from the corroborated contingencies. This study shows that motivation is multifaceted, and involves various factors that are closely intertwined.
Motivation depends on the individual student in regard to the values he considers coherently necessary for his or her success. Motivation of a student towards a certain aspect in life directly depends on age. As one grows, the life aspirations change because of changes in the way one perceives certain motivators.
There may be a shift of interest, and therefore as a teacher, it is very important to understand such motivators at various stages of development of a child. There should be a concerted effort by the teacher to eliminate all negative external stimuli that may be destructive to the student.
Although positive stimuli like rewards are always very effective in ensuring that the child gets motivated, at times a teacher may be forced to employ negative stimuli like punishment in order to discourage a behavior that is detrimental to the student’s success.
Wong (2000), reports that cognition is directly linked to motivation. In his study, this scholar talks about development of self-regulation and regulation theories. This study emphasizes the fact that self regulated students are always easy to work within a classroom setup. This is because they develop their own workable strategies on how to achieve success, they have the self-drive and they always set their own goals.
This theory suggests that students can reinforce their own motivation by undertaking numerous self-regulatory strategies that include setting suitable and achievable goals, applying academic strategies, and assess their own progress.
Motivation has been the focus of many educators as they strive to achieve a learning environment where a student has self-drive to achieve success in academics. A study by McClelland (1897) reveals that motivation varies from one individual to another, depending on various internal and external factors. This study shows that an individual student may have the motivation towards one subject and not the other.
This can be attributed to the concerned teacher of that subject. The manner in which teachers carry themselves out will have a great bearing on the motivation the student have towards the subject. It is therefore very important that as a teacher, one understands the motivators of students and maintains a positive attitude with each individual student if this is possible.
However, this may not be very easy in case the student concerned is in lower classes. At this stage, it is very difficult to develop this self-drive for life may not mean much. Such students, although they can easily get motivated easily, can not maintain such motivation longer after the departure of the person motivating them. At this stage, they believe that books are not easily read by individuals of their age (Wolfson, 2008).
They therefore prefer that the books be read to them. As one passes elementary level to middle school, it becomes very possible for such an individual to develop a personal conviction on what targets are to be met. At this stage, therefore, a teacher may engage such a student to focus on achieving a certain ambition in life.
With this, the student will work, bearing in mind what is to be achieved by the end of the day. Such a student will be in apposition to set attainable goals within a given timeline as a measure of how effective and consistent he or she is towards achieving the strategic objective.
According to the study by Heckhausen (2000), it was observed that there are particular behaviors that have direct negative impact to developing a positive reading culture. This study shows that the recent technological advancements have had more negative effect to the culture of reading than the positivity. From Hollywood movies to computer games, the society has developed a crop of children who detest reading at home.
They strongly believe that reading comes to an end when one leaves school. Their leisure is basically watching movies, playing computer games or other such related activities. Reading during their leisure time is almost impossible. This is slowly but steadily taking the culture of reading to its deathbed.
To counter this challenge, educationists have designed ways of capitalizing on what these individuals love most, the audiovisuals. Willingham (2007) asserts that In order to generate motivation in an individual, it will best be approached from the perspective of their interests. First, identify what makes them happy. In this case, it was found that many students like watching movies.
The next stage will be to develop a way through which a learning material may be turned into an audiovisual so that other than passing the intended message to the learner, it also acts as a form of entertainment. This would develop interest of such a student when next time in class, the teacher comes up with what he had watched.
It would be easier and more interesting for such a student to refer to the book for more clarification after the teacher is gone. It is from this that this culture will be revived, and the concerned individual will be in a position to read at own volition as time goes by.
This is easier to do in case the subject in question is literature. However, it may not be easy to do the same if it is a science course. Moreover, this method is always associated with those who are physically impaired.
Methodology
This chapter focuses on various aspects of research development. It includes methods of data collection, analysis, and presentation. Every research project applies a certain research method to achieve its objectives depending on its goals. The methods used to conduct research in this project compared closely with the methods proposed in the project proposal (Anderson 2004, p. 89).
In research, design deals primarily with aims, uses, purposes, intentions, and plans within the practical constraints of time, location, money, and availability of staff (Hakim 2000, p. 31). In this study, respondents were briefed in advance. The officials of Sacred Heart School were given relevant notice by the researcher. The study population was also amicably informed in order to get prepared for the study.
Briefing was important because it could enhance reliability of the study. It is also ethical to inform people before researching on them. The findings were also made public to the research as one way of ensuring morality in the study.
Furthermore, the researcher observed researcher-researcher ethics by keeping away from criticism. Out of 15 questionnaires sent to respondents, 14 of them were filled and returned. This was not a bad response. The response rate was high because the researcher insisted that the study was purely academic. This encouraged many teachers at Sacred Heart School to fill in their questionnaires.
The data collected was basically formative. The researcher wanted to determine motivating factors among students, and how this could be enhanced among school-going students. The research was to come up with the recommendations on how reading culture could be restored among students.
Research Model
This research utilized quantitative research methods in conducting the study and collecting data. Quantitative research was used although because it aims at summarizing data mathematically. In this regard, the research took the form of a survey, whereby the researcher identified some individuals and posted questionnaires to them. The sampled population was selected randomly in order to eliminate biases.
The researcher made follow-ups by conducting respondents on phone. Interviewing is another method of data collection that was used in this research. The researcher extracted more information from respondents by calling them. Because of the nature of this research, the researcher collaborated with other colleagues in the process of data collection and analysis.
This was necessary as this allowed the researcher to validate some of the information gathered from other sources. These colleagues were experienced teachers who had first hand experience in handling students in a classroom setup. Some had severally participated in guidance and counseling of the students in various occasions and therefore had a lot of information in regard to motivation.
Sampling Methods
The most applicable sampling method for this exercise was random sampling. Considering that the targeted population consisted of staff at Sacred Heart School, there was not much risk of having biased data.
If the survey needed to cover the entire staff of Sacred Heart School, systematic sampling coupled with stratified sampling would be ideal to ensure cross-departmental representation. However, this survey targeted a selected number of teachers, hence random sampling proved sufficient to collect required data.
Data Collection
Secondary Data Used
Secondary data for analysis in this project came from various publications. These included reports, journal articles and research publications. Most of it related to the work that other researchers in the field of motivation undertook. The other areas where the literature review covered include theories of motivation and the application of performance in various learning institutions.
The nature of materials used varied. Journals dealing with specific aspects of motivation provided specific information on specific research elements investigated by researchers. Some reports from intergovernmental organizations proved useful in providing information on the application of motivation in a learning environment (Swanson & Holton 1997, p. 26). From these sources, several findings came to the fore.
Primary Data
The online questionnaire provided the means of collecting primary data for this project. The survey covered 15 teachers at Sacred Heart School. This sample is representative of the entire cadre of staff and students targeted by the survey in the school.
The choice of respondents was by random sampling based on the individual’s willingness to participate. The questionnaire had a mixture of open-ended and closed-ended questions. This design enabled the study to provide as much detail as possible while eliminating the risk of high variance in responses.
The administration of the questionnaires took place online because of varying working hours. In addition, it eased access to the questionnaire. After filing in the soft copy, respondents sent it to a designated email address. This measure resulted to reduced costs transport and accommodation. The expenses could be occasioned by physical administration of questionnaires.
Moreover, it saved research time because it was easy to transfer the information from a soft copy to the analysis software because the findings were analyzed using a software referred to as SPSS. Finally, it did not generate any paper waste hence contributing to environmental conservation.
Data Analysis
The researcher used triangulation method of data analysis in this research. This was necessary because the researcher gathered information from varied sources some of which were bound to be biased. This would help validate the findings of this research. However, this method needs a lot of accuracy. There are possibilities bias and errors if this method is used.
The researcher therefore had this in mind when conducting this analysis so as to eliminate any possibility of errors that could jeopardize validity of the research. This tool was appropriate because through it, the researcher was able to generate more wanderings that furthered the quest to gather more knowledge that would be useful in developing a theory for this study.
There were several interesting observations made in the process of data collection. The observations include those made from the literature review and those made from analysis of data collected through the questionnaire. In this section, the two sources of data present the categories used for disseminating the findings.
In the first case, the information covers the information retrieved from various academic sources such as journals, reports, and books on issues of motivation and performance related learning. In the second section, the attitudes and thoughts of students and teachers interviewed within our sampling area form the basis of the report was covered by the questionnaire.
Findings
From this research, the researcher was able to gather a lot of information in regard to motivation of learners. From this research, it was confirmed that audiobooks are very important in developing the reading culture among learners of all grades. Those students who were considered of low grades were able to get encouragement when reading was accompanied by audio books.
They could easily read more volumes with very minimal effort. The research revealed that through the use of such books, students of lower grades are able to develop a positive reading culture that could enhance their improvement of grades. It was also confirmed that such books always act as means of educative entertainment, especially to younger learners.
They would look forward to having such sessions, not knowing that they are learning in this process. The audiobooks were also very important to students of higher grades. Through these books, middle and high-grade students are able to further understand a concept that would have been unclear using a text.
They could easily use audiobooks as a backup to other reading materials. From this study, it was ascertained that audiobooks increase fluency and comprehension of students, especially in language. They enable the learner understand such aspects as pronunciation easily. When a student uses an audiobook, it would be easier for him or her to get further information, developing the culture of reading within him or her.
This also helps teachers in their practice. When students have developed the self drive amongst themselves, it would be easier to offer them direction. Because they have the determination to achieve, the teacher will have an easier time trying to show them how best they can achieve their dreams. Through small groups or individually, students can approach problems and solve them by use of both audio and textbooks.
In case anything is not clear from the two sources, they can therefore approach their teacher for further clarification. Many schools that have embraced the use of audiobooks as a supplementary to textbooks have had better results than those that insist on the use of textbooks only.
Motivation is multifaceted. From this research, it was established that teachers have a great role in motivation of learners. A teacher is a symbol of the subject he or she teaches. The learners will therefore view such subjects in respect to the teacher concerned. The positivity of such a teacher towards the subject he/she handles and towards the students matters a lot.
If such a teacher has respect towards self, the subject, and the learners, then that would be the first step towards having motivated students. The teacher should then make a deliberate effort to understand each student in his or her own class. This would help when personal attention toward the student is necessary. It is necessary to employ punitive measures as a means of motivating the students.
However, this should be the last resort after all other avenues have been explored. This would help ensure that students do not develop negative attitude towards the teacher because if that takes place, then the student would develop the same towards the subject taught by that particular teacher.
A teacher is in a position to understand the learner than the parent. This is so because most of the time this learner is with the teacher. The parent has very limited time as they meet late hours in the evening just before nightfall and early in the morning before setting out for school. For those in boarding schools, the parent only has the holiday to have a close relationship with the learner.
It is therefore the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the learner is motivated. This should be done by first understanding the student in order to determine what factors acts as his or her motivators. Then the teacher should take the responsibility to avail these factors if they are within reach. These factors can be positive or negative motivators.
Age was found to be a factor in motivation of learners. Young children are easily motivated. This can be through the use of either positive or negative motivators. If a child is promised a gift if it excels in a specific duty, such a child will employ every possible tactic to ensure success. Similarly, if punishment is introduced as a motivating factor, such a child will avoid what it is warned against.
However, as this child grows, these factors become common. They value the gift, but its relevance to their academics fails to connect. They would rather go without the gift but get all the entertainment they can access at the expense of their academics.
They also fear corporal punishment no more. For this reason, they become immune to both positive and negative motivators. The graph below shows how motivation falls as age increases.
Level of Motivation in Respect to Age
The finding from this research was able to respond to the wondering equations of the research. From the findings, it was determined that the best way through which a teacher can use an audio-visual book is by taking it as a supplementary material to textbooks in the process of disseminating knowledge.
It was also determined that such materials are very important to students who are considered weak in classroom. They are supportive materials, not alternatives to the textbooks. As a teacher therefore, it is very important that this strategy is employed in order to ensure that students do not replace textbooks with audio books.
This research confirmed the earlier findings of other researchers covered in the literature review. It was confirmed that learning as a process is not easy, and for it to be a success, there is the need to develop motivators that would encourage the learner.
Motivation is multifaceted and it incorporates many people to motivate a learner. Parent, peer, and the teacher are the three most important figures in determining that a child is motivated. It was also confirmed that age is a determinant of motivation among learners, as discussed above.
Implication of the Research to the Field of Education
This research was basically conducted to find better ways through which learners could be motivated. The researcher’s intent was to find ways through which teachers could motivate learners to develop a positive reading culture so as to improve their grades. This research is therefore expected to have positive impacts to the learner, teacher, and the parents.
To the learner, this report seeks to clarify the importance of developing self drive towards the culture of reading. It categorically states the importance of a student being self-motivated and how a student as an individual, and in groups, can achieve a lot in terms of learning what is taught. To the teacher, this report clearly states how best they can ensure that they have a group of motivated students.
It emphasizes the fact that a teacher is at the center of learner motivation. Through this report, a teacher would find his role as a motivator of student and also a mentor. Parents’ role in motivating learners towards developing positive behavior is also addressed.
The research went beyond classroom. It elaborately explores motivation right from the family and the general environment where the learner comes from, to the time this learner settles down in class. It has explored the role of environment in determining levels of motivation of learners. This was in an attempt to ensure that all aspects in regard to learner motivation are covered.
The researcher has developed an elaborate way of disseminating this report to all the concerned parties. The findings of this research will first be shared by colleagues who in a way or the other participated in the process of gathering or analysis of the data. It would then be made available to all other teachers after the administration has received a copy of the same.
This would then be followed up with a PowerPoint presentation to the entire staff after giving them time to go through the print report. To help demonstrate the importance of audiobooks as a supplement to textbooks, the researcher intends to use a few samples of audiobooks. This way, the report is expected to generate positive attitude towards audiobooks among teachers.
It is also expected that they will appreciate their role as the lead motivators to the students. The researcher then intends to meet the administration and explore ways through which the entire school system can embrace the findings of this research.
It is through the administration that parents would be reached so that they are informed of their roles as part of the motivating team. Because of the internet connectivity in most of the homes, this will be sent electronically. The time Table below shows the timeline for the activities.
Tentative Timeline
The table below shows the provisional timeline for this research project. However, it is very flexible and can be changed to accommodate all the concerned parties.
Recommendations
Generally, the following are some of the recommendations that the researcher has come up with as a way of creating a positive change towards learner motivation:
- Teachers are at the core of student motivation. For this reason, it is recommended that they should always make a concerted effort to understand each learner, as an individual and develop means through which such a learner can be motivated.
- It is of important that teachers concerned should group students in each class as per their capabilities in the class. After grouping, the teacher should then approach each category with specific motivators.
- There should be a close relationship between teachers and parents in the process of student motivation. The parent should be advised accordingly by the teacher, of the child’s capabilities and the best approaches the parent can take to ensure that the child remains motivated while at school and at home.
- The administration has a role to play. It should ensure that the school’s library is stocked with the right materials. The library should have both audio and textbooks that are current.
- The administration should also offer enabling environment for teachers so that there is a general feeling among teachers that the administration is playing its part in ensuring that students are motivated.
- Students should appreciate the fact that they are the center stage of all this process of motivation. For this reason, they should appreciate the efforts made by various individuals in order to get them motivated.
- Students should appreciate the need for motivation. They should understand the implications of getting motivated as a way of achieving the desired results in one’s activities.
References
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