How to fix poverty in schools

Abstract
There is a lot said and theorized about when it comes motivating students and other people that might exist and work within an educational environment. However, the paradigm in question is not nearly as one-dimensional as some might portray. Indeed, students and learners can be motivated by one or more factors. Some of those factors come from outside people and events and these are known as extrinsic motivations and motivators. The other side of that coin, however, would be intrinsic factors. This is what motivates people from within and what personally drives them to succeed independent or different from what the external factors and people might place on the situation. The latter of those two shall be the focus of this research report. There are peer-reviewed journal articles and other scholarly sources that have a lot to say about the subject at hand. Whether it be from a basic business or organizational sense or whether it is based on a religious worldview, there is a wealth of knowledge to absorb and behold when it comes to what motivates people and what can or cannot be done to mold or shape the same.
Intrinsic Motivation
When a learner or student is seemingly disinterested, unengaged or otherwise not motivated, there can be a number of reasons why that perception or reality exists. They may simply not be motivated to learn the material in question or the person may have something going on that is pressuring them or preventing them from being what they could or need to be for a firm or organization. Motivation or lack thereof is based on a number of factors. Some factors are external to the person in need of motivation and the teacher or learning institution can often have a marked effect on these factors. However, there are other sources of (or drags on) motivation that are internal and personal in nature. These internal motivations can often not be changed so easily but they can be harnessed in many instances so as to align the needs and goals of the the person in question. The implications and details of this matter are greatly tied and linked to both religious worldviews and thought as well as general learning theories and motivational ideas.
Analysis
Introduction
In its best form, a person that is present to learn will form a bond and relationship with the person or people that are doing the teaching. In other words, the learner will gain a lot more from the lessons if there is a clear linkage to the material being taught and the person or people doing the teaching. However, if the learner is not motivated and is lacking in terms of engagement and performance, there can obviously be a net drag on the learning outcomes of the student or even others within the group by extension. This can figure into whether or not a learner can then move on to more complex and interesting topics that require the current learning as a foundation or prerequisite. When a learner is lacking in engagement, some amount of adjustment will necessary. Sometimes, the learner will do this on their own, make their voice heard and act accordingly. Other times, more prodding and inquisition is necessary to figure out what is going on.
This topic is significant because learning can be so much more efficient and effective when the proper levels of motivation and engagement are present. The genesis of this happening can be different from situation to situation. However, the common thread that is quite common to see is that learners are not performing at a level that is possible and practical given the abilities of the student and the resources at their disposal. An astute teacher or educator will witness an student that is not motivated and then try to figure out why precisely that happens to be the case rather than just assuming what is going on. If indeed there is an intrinsic issue or concern in play, there are a number of important theories, lessons and evidence-based practice that dictate what could be done, what should be done and what the best path forward would happen to be.
Learning Theory Association
Irrespective of the political or religious worldview that someone has, the one clear body of knowledge that will commonly be pointed to and cited will be that of learning theory. Indeed, there is a strong and clearly link between learning theory and motivations. After all, motivated students learn faster, better and more efficiently than students who are than enthused or excited about what they are learning, why they are learning it and so forth. Just to use a basic example, even something as rudimentary and early on in terms of learning like motor skills and such can be defined in terms of the intrinsic motivations that are in play. According to a 2016 study by Wulf and Lewthwaite, it is vital for someone to have effective motor performance because this helps a person both survive and thrive as a person and a member of society, let alone a student in a classroom. There are entire frameworks and bodies of thought within the learning theory realm that directly use and employ the concept of intrinsic learning. One such framework is known as OPTIMAL, which is short for Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning. It is suggested by experts that are advocates for this realm of thought that goals relating to motor skill learning and other such knowledge bases can be fused and used together. If done properly, there is a prevalence of “forward directions” and less “backsliding” (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016). One of the major factors that seems to bounce of the intrinsic motivation and learning of a student is the use of redundancy and modality within the learning environment. Indeed, having too much redundancy can cause people to “check out” and this is due to their loss of intrinsic motivation to be mindful of what they are watching. On the other hand, using the right combination of animation, narration and text can keep things “fresh” and keep the learner engaged, including from an intrinsic standpoint. When dealing with younger learners, as would be the case with most people learning motor skills, this is important to keep in mind (Dousay, 2016).
When speaking of most people in a more advanced scenario like high school or any teaching of adult students, however, the people in question are adults and have mostly or entirely developed the motor and other basic skills that are ever going to be present, with a few exceptions. Some of the challenges and issues when it comes to intrinsic motivational are more common and really just come down to identifying what is going on and then moving on from there. In other cases, the catalyst and cause of an intrinsic motivational issue is less common and might be more ambiguous in terms of how to handle the issue and why. A fairly common facet of motivation and learning that tends to get a lot of focus is working autonomously versus working in groups. Some learning situations demand group-based work while other educational situations require people to forge out on their own in at least some respects. How and when to harness motivation can be delicate depending on the details. For example, someone learning a new language may desire to work on their own or they may prefer more direct work with a teacher or tutor. Their level and form of intrinsic motivation will obviously affect and influence which would apply (O’Reilly, 2014). Another common thread of conversation and thought pertains to how to train and educate people when it comes to topics like medical training and other situations where things are often life and death in nature. With that field in particular, there is a heavy amount of intrinsic motivation and dedication but it still needs to be controlled and put to get use (Matics, 2015).
A dimension of learning theory and intrinsic motivations that is very prominent now but really was not present at all until the 1990’s would be the presence of virtual experiences that involve learning. Indeed, it is quite common for many educational projects or ventures to be done online, inclusive of colleges and other advanced learning institutions. This stands in contrast to the learning environments of the past where everyone was at the same location, or at least in the same city. However, the increasingly global and connected nature of society, whether it is at the local level or the global level, has greatly changed the learning and motivational paradigms. There are indeed some people that are not willing or able to adapt to being in a more virtual and personally detached environment. There are others that thrive on it and love the flexibility and freedom. This is just another manifestation of the idea that what motivates people can vary and that the ability to work and operate virtually is something that many people glom onto and desire. There is some resistance to be seen from the people that would manage and work with those people. However, it is advocated by many that it be learned and used as an option so that it can be wielded in a way that gets the learners and the group better overall results (Gonzalez-Marcos, Alba-Elias, Navariadas & Ordieres-Mere, 2016).
The first example that one can offer that would be less common and ubiquitous would be when adults have chronic conditions. These conditions could be rendered and manifested in a number of ways including pain, digestive issues or other such things. Not only does this have a disruptive effect on the intrinsic motivations of a student, it can also be perceived inaccurately or incompletely by people that are not fully aware (if they are aware at all) what is going on with that person. It could be to the point that it is a disability for the student or other person involved and thus there need to be accommodations and levels of assistance rendered, in addition to nay fostering and use of positive and more conventional intrinsic motivations (Metzinger & Berg, 2015).
The other possibilities when it comes to less common and “outlier” examples that are not the least bit common yet still exist would include people that are disabled and that travel at sea. One might think that a person being disabled would preclude that person, just on a physical and logistical level, from being a sailor or anything else like that. However, the dreams and intrinsic motivations of some people are extremely song and these same people often find a way to realize their dream, even if they need a little help. With that said, the education that would have to occur for the disabled person as well as those that would interact with that disabled person would create new lessons and tools to learn and absorb. (Thompson, Lamont-Robinson & Williams, 2016).
Definition of Key Terms
Extrinsic – Not forming part of or belonging to a thing (Merriam-Webster, 2017)
Intrinsic – Belonging to the essential nature of constitution of a thing (Merriam-Webster, 2017)
Learning Theory – Theories or ideas surrounding the teaching and engagement of students, inclusive of how to teach them, how to motivate them, how to involve them and how to enhance and improve their learning performance (MacCallum, Day, Skelton & Verhaart, 2017).
Motivation – A motivating force or stimulus, or influence (Merriam-Webster, 2017)
Gaps in the Research
A tangent of the above directions and paths is a duality that exists in many fields and that would be the gap that exists between theory and practice. The genesis of such discord is not hard to figure out as many of the academics and “experts” in the college and research fields are more insulated separated, in general, from the “real world” of at least some educational parlance and practice. What might work or make sense in a controlled environment will obviously not always translate to what happens or what is defined in the field. Beyond that, there is often more than one “layer” to a situation. Indeed, a person facing motivational challenges may face a confluence of multiple challenges and problems. Further, some may be intrinsic and others may be extrinsic in nature. What this would mean in rather simple terms is that just because some of the intrinsic issues are identified and catered to does not mean that this will solve the problem in its entirety. Even so, it should at least help the situation (Heeneman et al, 2015).
A related yet different gap and issue with the body of knowledge is that studying issues like extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in a controlled and truly scientific way is difficult, if not impossible, to pull off effectively. Indeed, there are just some subjects that are not easy to study in a way that can be done with something easier to prove like whether mice respond to a medical treatment or what the temperature level of an area happens to be. Just a few fields that are rife with this issue are economics, politics and sociology. Of course, the last of those, in addition to other topics like management and organizational/team theory (Luk, 2017).


Biblical Worldview
When considering and pondering motivation and what sorts of motivation come from within, it is not hard to see the correlations between motivation and having a belief in God. Indeed, many people have a strong intrinsic motivation to do good words, do good deeds or perform strongly at work due to the belief that the person in question should use their talents for good and/or to their full ability, inclusive of learning at the highest level in educational forums and environments. This linkage is clear to see even when one is taking a more detached and non-religious view of the performance and reactions of someone that is clearly using God as at least one of their motivations. For example, Smither and Walker (2015) noted that there is a clear relationship, at least with some people, when it comes to self-evaluations, the views that one has of God, and the intrinsic or extrinsic motivations that result in response to the same (Smither & Walker, 2015). This holds true of regular people with secular or otherwise conventional learning endeavors or lessons as well as people who go to seminary and become priests (Abdelsayed et al, 2013). That being said, there is some active resistance to God being in the mindset, whatever the reason may be. For example, a governmental body may wish to avoid the invocation of God and the motivations that come from the same due to not wanting to offend those that have other belief systems or that are agnostic or atheist. However, even some people in the agnostic/atheist sphere are willing and able to have people be curious and motivated through God even if it is not their own personal belief that God exists (Hampstead, 2015).
One important idea to consider is that truly keeping religion out of the educational and societal spheres and what motivates the people that inhabit both is just not possible. Even if the true and religious source of a person’s motivation is not named directly, it still is what it is. There is such a thing as being sensitive to the religious viewpoints and ideas of others but there is also such a thing as being overly protect and suppressing of such thoughts. Indeed, just because someone is Muslim and states as such does not mean that the person in question would hate or dislike a Christian or an atheist because they have the same viewpoint. They may very well be wary or even hostile towards other such ideas. However, if they are tolerant and accepting of the fact that they only have the right and privilege to control their own adherences and allegiances and that their intrinsic motivation should stem from that same good faith, then that is a good thing. This holds true in regular and daily life and it also holds true in very intimate and personal relationships such as marriages, which are themselves learning processes and there is a lot of learning in the same (Brimhall & Butler, 2007). Of course, not everyone holds religious worldviews but these people still share common threads with people that are religious including concerns for community, family and friends. Other alternative worldviews and such that do invoke and use God as a basis include models that use discipleship and a shared mission as the basis for motivation (Saines, 2015). Transformative learning theory, which is something that is pervasive in both religious and non-religious scholarly spheres, is also commonly used as a basis for motivation and leadership (Marmon, 2013).
When it comes to potential pitfalls or problems with the intrinsic motivational theory that dominates this report, there are indeed some that exist. First, just because someone has strong intrinsic priorities does not mean that they are good or proper. This would include believers and non-believers alike. An easy example would be the idea that one’s worth or performance is based on the income that they bring in. Obviously, greed has gotten the better of more than one organizational or business leader. Instead, people should focus on equity and religion can obviously be a strong foundation for such a belief system, and it should be (Pepper, Gosling & Gore, 2015). Another common flaw when it comes to intrinsic motivation and that involves God was mentioned elsewhere in this report and that would be the overt and rude exclusion or punishment of those that believe certain things and/or that do not believe the same as the punisher. There is no doubt that religion affects business in many ways and this would include from a marketing, entrepreneurship and organizational management standpoint. However, allowing these facets of business to be used as a way to exclude and punish people is the antithesis of what should be done to motivate and inspire people, whether it is based on the intrinsic values and thoughts that the person has or the extrinsic ones (Corodeanu et al, 2016).
Conclusion
In the end, there has to be a focus on mutual respect and liberty as the learning process grows, fosters and progresses. Failure to adhere to such guidelines and principles can only affect intrinsic motivations in bad ways, especially when it comes to subjects like religion, politics and so forth. It is important to realize that everyone follows their own path, has their own motivations and what those paths or motivations are generally the rights of those people to have so long as they are conducive to the success and ongoing existence of the unit, organization or group that the person is within. Whatever the intrinsic motivations of a person should happen to be, that person should not be impugned or insulted in any way. Indeed, there should be an embracing of what drives their heart and their mind. If it can be correlated to student performance in any meaningful way, it can be a win/win for everyone involved.





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