Cognitive Models and a Theory of
Academic Motivation
By Team Arnowicz
a.k.a
Eric Arnold
&
Phillip Galarowicz


1. The psychological feature that arouses
an organism to action toward a desired
goal.
2. The reason for the action that which
gives purpose and direction to behavior.
“Students with high self-efficacy increase
their effort on difficult tasks, persist
when they encounter obstacles, and tend
to set challenging goals for themselves.”

Goal:


The goal of motivational models and theories
focuses on the factors that influence student
engagement in achievement-related activities.
Different from learning theory in that
learning theory focuses on achievement of
specific skills and capabilities or the
conditions of growth in thinking.
1.
2.
3.
Motivation is the result of interactions
between environmental factors and the
individual’s characteristics.
The learner is an active processor of
information.
A learner’s motives, needs, or goals are
explicit information.
1.
The Expectancy-Value Model
2.
Goal Orientation Models`

Student motivation is derived from what
they are expected to do to reach the level
of attainment value.
 Task Value: Attainment Value
Intrinsic value
Utility Value
Cost
 Expectancy Value: Extent to which the individual
will perceive their level of
success for a given goal.

Students motivations are derived from
personal rationales for engagement in
academic tasks based on a set of
behavioral intentions.
 Learning Related Goals:
1. Learning Goals
2. Mastery Goals
3. Task Goals
 Performance Goals:
1. Performance Goals
2. Ego-Involved Goals

Addresses individuals’ thoughts,
emotions, and expectancies following an
achievement-related outcome.
 Attribution VS. Causality
1. Process involved in determining the causes of
success and failure outcomes.
2. The resulting emotions and expectancies that
influence the subsequent behavior.
a. Positive Outcomes
b. Negative Outcomes
1.
2.
Motivational beliefs develop and change
over time.
Encouraging students to try harder is
counter productive:
a) Students believe that they already work hard.
b) Students are discouraged by the directives that
indicate their success depends on maximum
effort.
3.
The search for understanding should be
the prime motivator. – Attribution Theory
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set the tone the first day and hold
students to clear expectations.
Interact with the students on their level.
Build POSITIVE relationships.
Show the students that you are
interested in them.
If you can get their interest, you can help
them achieve success.



“Motivation” defined by dictionary.com
All other quotes and slides were derived
from Gredler.
Picture from
http://people.nnu.edu/~blmyers/SarahG
ivingThumbsUp.JPG