“Motivation” is one of the subjects about which managers, teachers, educators, and parents must possess sufficient knowledge regarding its principles, concepts, and applications. There is another point that needs to be considered: the mistakes and errors that occur under the guise of “motivation.” Some of the previous misconceptions that were common, along with incorrect and incomplete interpretations of theories and scientific views, lead to the use of methods and tools for motivation at school and home that, even if seemingly effective, are considered harmful and deviant from an educational perspective.
“Motivation” is a significant and frequently used term that appears in all human discussions. Motivation plays a decisive role in various aspects of human life, whether individual, social, ethnic, national, global, or intercultural. Scholars from different scientific fields have each addressed motivation in their own way, and while the extent of its impact on human behavior may not be the same for everyone, there is consensus on the importance of motivational issues.
When it comes to the discussion of education, motivation is always involved. Among the essential and important topics of education, such as learning, teaching, development (transformation), individual differences, intelligence and thinking, and assessment and evaluation, motivation holds its own distinct position. Regardless of the theories and views regarding motivation, it is possible to reach a relative consensus on its definition. Seif (2019) provides one of the most comprehensive definitions of motivation: “Motivation refers to the force that initiates, sustains, and directs behavior.” He reminds us that from an educational perspective, motivation is both a goal and a means. As a goal, we want students to develop an interest in various academic and social topics. As a means, motivation acts as a psychological readiness, serving as a prerequisite for learning, and its impact on learning is entirely evident (p. 240).
At school, “motivation” is supposed to be a driving and advancing force for children and adolescents, keeping them active and dynamic until they achieve their goals. It is essential to evaluate the credibility of motivational methods and actions in the process of both informal and formal education. Below, we will examine some points to identify motivational mistakes and errors in education.
Motivation is not just verbal
In our ancient culture and literature, concepts like advice, counsel, admonition, reminders, recommendations, sermons, and the like have been considered highly valuable and beneficial, and in most cases, they also had a motivational impact.
Hafez says:
“Listen to advice, dear one, for the wise counsel
Is cherished more by the fortunate youth.”
Or:
“The sage’s counsel is purely good and full of wisdom,
Blessed is the one who hears it with willing ears.”
Saadi’s “Gulistan” and “Bustan” are also filled with advice and counsel, so much so that Saadi himself emphasizes:
“Saadi’s advice is enough for you, my son,
If you listen as you would to a father’s counsel.”
Nowadays, it is often said that times have changed, and the current generation no longer listens to advice. While I don’t fully agree with this statement, it must be acknowledged that advice and counsel no longer have the same functions and effects they once did. A large portion of our motivational actions in education is still focused on advice, explaining things, and verbal motivation. Many teachers and parents try to instil motivation through words. Interestingly, they claim they’re not trying to give advice, but their actions are exactly that. Verbal motivation can be effective, but only if we know the principles and techniques involved. While we will delve deeper into this topic in the future, a few points need to be highlighted here:
- Speaking should not be one-sided or imposed.
- Avoid giving advice during tense or stressful situations.
- Advice should not take the form of interrogation or confession.
- Advice should not have an element of deception or trickery.
- The duration of advice should be appropriate to the child’s or adolescent’s age, and in any case, it should not exceed 20 minutes.
A serious reminder: Sometimes, educators, especially parents, lose track of time when they start giving advice, continuing to speak endlessly without realizing it! This often happens when advice is one-sided, and the other party is not given an opportunity to express themselves.
Therefore, motivation should not always be done solely through verbal methods like explaining, advising, or recommending.
Motivation is not about pitting individuals against each other
Many teachers and parents associate motivation with comparison and competition. With such an understanding, one of the motivational strategies at school and home becomes pitting children against each other. In the past, one common behaviour among parents, especially fathers, was to encourage boys to wrestle with each other if they were in a group. Phrases like “Come on! You can wrestle with your friend!” or “Let’s see who is stronger!” or “Have you ever wrestled each other before?” were used to provoke both parties, and they usually worked.
The notion of superiority and the desire for dominance is a common motivational mindset, which in the past was expressed through wrestling and arm wrestling, but in recent decades has shifted towards excelling in academics and other skills. In school, we pit students against each other for higher grades, being top of the class, or winning competitions. At home, we compare children’s accomplishments in learning foreign languages, artistic activities, sports skills, and other abilities.
Pitting individuals against each other to surpass or dominate is considered a normal phenomenon in society and is common among people, especially employees, artists, athletes, and anywhere that motivation is a factor. In schools and families, this phenomenon sometimes goes beyond the usual level, pitting children from different families or students from different schools against each other. Celebrating the fact that several students from a particular school have achieved high rankings, displaying pictures of students who have won competitions to showcase superiority over other schools, and competing in academic Olympiads and sports tournaments are examples of this competitive motivational mindset.
We cannot overlook a reality about schools: as organizations, they need to promote themselves and attract the attention of their community and potential clients. Advertising and using communication methods to highlight achievements are necessary for schools, or at least some of them. The main problem lies in how this is done and how students are used in the process.
Pitting students against each other, whether at the school level or beyond, may have certain outcomes, but it contradicts the fundamental principles of education. This method is not acceptable within families or extended families either.
Ibrahim Aslani
Educational Psychologist
Sources
Aslani, Ibrahim. (2015). Schools Without Competition. Tehran: Doran Publishing.
Seif, Ali Akbar. (2019). Modern Educational Psychology / Learning and Teaching Psychology. Tehran: Doran Publishing.
