The Scoring of the Two Scales
The Achievement Motivation Scale is usually used in order to determine the person’s attitude and behavior related to performing well. It also demonstrates how a person chooses to strive for higher results and how he or she sees any type of success. Learners with high scores on this scale can be discussed as highly motivated and oriented toward achieving their personal and academic goals when learners with low scores are not motivated enough to achieve success within the academic setting. The average need for achievement is typical for most persons, and they need stimulation to set right and effective goals and strive for success. These scores are important for a teacher to predict the students’ academic successes and to develop strategies to improve motivation.
The Rotter Locus of Control scale is traditionally used in order to determine what type of control is discussed by a student as preferable. If the locus of control is external, a student can be considered as dependent on the situation, setting, events, and a variety of external factors. This student can think that his personal efforts are meaningless. If the locus of control is internal, a student is concentrated on his abilities to complete tasks, and he usually increases efforts to overcome different barriers. This approach is advantageous to achieve high results in academic environments.
Achievement Motivation
Achievement motivation can be discussed as a student’s drive for the success that is observed when a student performs tasks accurately and demonstrates the high efforts to complete the activities well. As a result, a student can achieve the desired goal and become satisfied with the outcomes of his or her effort. However, there are many situations when students do not demonstrate high achievement motivation, and they need to be stimulated through a range of factors to make efforts in order to succeed. In this case, an instructor should start by focusing on such stimulation activities as praising effort, building confidence, and persuading (Schulten par. 3). This approach works for students with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations as well as for students with an external and internal locus of control because the stimulation of personal abilities is an important element of the teacher’s support in the class environment (Vansteenkiste, Willy and Deci 22).
The next step in developing the achievement motivation is the focus on the intrinsic motivation of students that is determined depending on students’ preferences. If a student is usually intrinsically motivated, it is relevant to concentrate on developing his or her self-efficacy and refer to increasing interest and enjoyment. Internal motivators include setting clear and relevant goals, among others. If a student is usually extrinsically motivated, the principles of the expectancy-value theory and comparison will work for him. External motivators include rewards, grades, and competition with other students (Tollefson 65). The result of such stimulation is the increased achievement motivation and the expected academic success, personal growth, and social recognition that are perceived by students as important outcomes of their efforts.
The discussed scheme to improve the achievement motivation can be presented in the following form:
Works Cited
Schulten, Katherine. Helping Students Motivate Themselves. 2012. Web.
Tollefson, Nona. “Classroom Applications of Cognitive Theories of Motivation”. Educational Psychology Review 12.1 (2000): 63-83. Print.
Vansteenkiste, Maarten, Willy Lens, and Edward Deci. “Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Goal Contents in Self-Determination Theory: Another Look at the Quality of Academic Motivation”. Educational Psychologist 41.1 (2006): 19-31. Print.