a is for average dr helen street. extrinsic rewards stickers merit cards ice cream school prizes...
TRANSCRIPT
A is for Average
Dr Helen Street
EXTRINSIC REWARDS Stickers Merit Cards Ice cream School prizes Money… Approval…
INTRINSIC REWARDS Meaning Skill advancement Appropriate challenge Personal and
professional development
Self-enhancement FUN
The problem of this for that A focus on outcomes
leads to a loss of interest in process
An unhealthy need for others approval
Moments of elation amidst a life of discontentment (conditional goal setting)
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s
Primary school – Stickers, stars and merit cardsHigh School – Grades and awardsWorking life – Incentives and bonus schemes
“Promising a reward to someone who seems unmotivated – or demotivated – is like offering salt water to someone who is thirsty: it’s not the solution; it’s the problem”Alfie Kohn, 1999, The Schools Our Children Deserve
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s
Creates an outcome focus Loss of autonomy Loss of control Loss of choice Loss of attention on
process
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s A need for greater
and greater rewards – if it isn’t working – increase the dose
Stickers for everything
‘A’ becomes average
Crazy Stickers and Average ‘A’s
Reduced Intrinsic Motivation
More than 80 studies with young people have shown that providing incentives
takes attention away from learning, and results in a reduced enjoyment of an
activity
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Decreases sympathy and
empathy
If kids are rewarded for being nice to others – they learn to like them less…
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Is just like a punishment…
For every ‘winner’ there are far more losers
For every winner the pressure to win again increases
Crazy stickers and average ‘A’s Links to depression vulnerability Fame, fortune and feeling down
Street, Nathan and Durkin 2002 (Young and Well) Goal choices and depression
But surely rewards work really well…? Rewards create
Compliance and control
Obedience A love of rewards
(as long as they increase in value)
Intrinsic motivation and beyond Life satisfaction Autonomy Positive social relationships A love of ongoing learning
Task persistence Better performance
Co-operation and compliance
Creating opportunity
We can not ‘make’ young people motivated
We can Support an optimum
learning environment Create opportunity for self-
determination
Positive relationships
A safe environment Collaboration Autonomy (choice) Task engagement
(interesting and relevant content)
The motivated classCreating an optimum learning environment
Creating positive relationships
Teacher Wellbeing Enhancing work experience Managing stress
Effective communication Taking an interest in
individuals Listening Being genuine Empathy and compassion
Developing a safe environment Emotional safety Connections with others Intimacy – opportunity to express true self
(Childhood wellbeing in the classroom, Street, H 2004 in ‘Checking The Pulse’ Smith and Riley (ed))
Encouraging Autonomy
Deprive children of self-determination and you deprive them of motivation
Engaging Students
Challenge and skills Clear, achievable goals Ongoing feedback Structure Meaning and value
A word about praise…To praise is "to commend the worth of or to express
approval or admiration" (Brophy, 1981)
Encouragement is to support autonomy and self-direction
CONTROL ENCOURAGEMENT
Look at how quietly Jack is sitting!
I can see that you have really expanded that idea in the essay
That’s fabulous. The green paint really makes the picture stand out
Edward Deci 2013 – personal communication
Ideals and realities An ideal for the future
NO MORE REWARDS, AWARDS, INCENTIVE PLANS OR GRADES
Celebrate community (not achievement) Provide ongoing feedback (not absolute
judgements) Support collaboration, autonomy and engagement Appreciate the positive Develop meaningful relationships CELEBRATE LEARNING
Ideals and realities A shift in the right direction
Autonomy (not control) Reduce complexity of rewards (A versus
incomplete – Kohn) Minimise use (Do we need to grade this?) Ensure that rewards and punishments are task
relevant (A chance to borrow a coveted book?) Focus on behaviour (for rewards as well as
punishments!!) No more‘stickers for being a great person…’
Interested in finding out more? Class on Fire workshop in November
[email protected] All notes, references and related articles can
be downloaded directly from
www.positiveschools.com.au If you want to ask me a question, invite me to
your school to talk or to help you make a positive change …
Motivated for life Truly successful
students
do not learn to love rewards
they ‘love to learn’ for life.