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...

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…