After our discussion in class today, I believe that the theories that are most helpful and instructive for me are the expectancy vs. value theory and goal theory.
The expectancy vs. value theory is very important to understand because it can explain what motivates an individual. When people expect that they will do well, they are more likely to succeed in reaching their goals. Also, when people place value on something because they know that it will benefit them, they are more likely to want to learn about it and/or work hard towards it. As a future educator, I could encourage my students by letting them know that they can do well and become proficient in whatever topic they are being taught. I can also show them how valuable the information they are learning is by presenting real life examples that they can relate to.
The goal theory is important to understand because when you specifically set a goal, you are innately motivated to accomplish it. I think that the difference between performance goals and learning goals is very helpful to know, especially when working with students. Performance goals are externally determined, for example doing well on a test to assess one's competence. In contrast, learning goals are internally determined, for example seeking to understand a topic in order to increase competence. If you know what a student's goals are and what drives them, you can use that information to target how to motivate them and to figure out what techniques you can use with them.
Overall, I think that motivating students to learn is a crucial aspect of a teacher's role. Knowledge of all of the theories that we discussed in this class will definitely help me in the future when I am working with students.
The following video presentation supports what we learned in class about goal theory and expectancy vs. value theory. It also shows some disadvantage of performance goals and strategies that teachers can use to motivate their students.
