My short experience as teacher has
being in a low socioeconomic school which hardly influence me to think that
sociocultural theories of motivation are the most helpful and instructive for
me. It is not hard to see in my students
the influence that parent, peers, and community have on them. Their engagement about certain topic and
their personal behavior many times comes from the environment surrounding them. Since early stage, they learn that having certain
behavior lead into grabbing their parents' attention. They internalize such behavior as adequate
and lately become part of their personality.
So that, even in situations when they do not have the need to behave in such
way to have others' attention, they still do.
My students are easily out of task.
Their level of motivation is very low, and when present it is more extrinsic
motivation than intrinsic motivation.
They tend to be self-handicap, reducing the amount of effort to succeed,
procrastinating task, cheating, and even sometimes using alcohol and drugs.
Moreover, stereotypes coming from
race and socioeconomic status make them to have a sense of learned helplessness
and low self-determination. Many time I
have observed my students asking to a new student “where did you go for school
last year?” when this new students shows mastery in a subject. Then, their following comment generally is… “Ah,
that’s why… In that school they are white and they have money”. Which lead me to conclude, they think they
cannot mastery the subject because of their socioeconomic situation and race.
Therefore, I think that if we, as
teacher, take in consideration their cultural and socioeconomic background and
embed the subject in meaningful, real-world task, the students will be more
engage in the learning process. For
instance, if we use daily personal problems as discussion topics, real problem
situation or own real data to be analyzed, etc., it can become more interested
for students, enhancing their participation on the task or activities in
classroom. If we use us as example of
how academic achieve have help us to have a better life, can open their eyes in
the opportunities they have.
One interesting example that I could
have happen last year when I open myself to them, letting them know a little
bit more about me, and my family; where I come from, how I was rise, and how I
use my high school grades to have a better opportunity in my life. It was very interesting for me the changing
on the perception that some (few, but at least some) student had about my
class, it was not only about me, but also about the Geometry class that I was
teaching. They, in some way felt closer
to me because they knew I wasn’t that “weird”, they found things in common. At the same time I plan the seed on them
making them think that they need to learn certain subject, even when they think
right now it is not that important, because in the future they may need it
perhaps only as prerequisite to do what they want to do, and perhaps because it
is the base of their future profession.
I am inspired by the experiences you have had as a teacher and hope to have many different experiences with my future students when I am an educator. It seems to me that your students are extremely motivated by their socioeconomic status. Since students from low-income families are more prone to anxiety and depression, I am sure it is hard to increase self-efficacy among these students. With that being said, classroom conditions can and do play a major role in the motivation of students to learn and achieve. By attempting to promote motivation strategies in the classroom, such as: task, autonomy, recognition, grouping, evaluation, and time, students can become more comfortable in your classroom and will eventually gain trust in you as well as self-efficacy and self-motivation.
ReplyDeleteIt has also been proven that students from low-income families succeed in schools where teachers have high expectations, engage students in high-interest activities, emphasize mastery goals and make students feel self -worth. Therefore, some of these activities and strategies may help the students in your classroom.
I believe that the sociocultural theories is a students greatest motivater. Stundents want approval from their parents or peers and will seek this through any means. It is important that we as teachers share our background as well as learn the students back ground.
ReplyDelete"Therefore, I think that if we, as teacher, take in consideration their cultural and socioeconomic background and embed the subject in meaningful, real-world task, the students will be more engage in the learning process." I completely agree with this. It shows the students that you have took the time to notice there background and that you care.