Mastery Motivation

 

Student motivation is a topic that interests me because of the ways educators can make a difference in students' motivation in teaching and learning. What I find so interesting is that mastery is a type of motivation in learning that can be developed over time. I think it's important to highlight that mastery can be achieved when student interest is taken into account in learning (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). Rather than student motivation stemming from performance goals, or even performance-avoidance goals, mastery is connected to students linking their motivation to something more personal and of interest to them.

For example, I am personally interested in society and understanding current events and politics. As such, when learning about this topic, I find it incredibly relevant to understand why we are where we are today, which encourages my study of history. Linking my personal interests to a study area creates a mastery form of motivation, because I want to understand the present through the past. I do not necessarily want to earn an A or just pass a political science class, for example. However, mastery motivation can also lead to these performance-related goals, thereby signalling effort through them. 

Something to also mention when discussing student motivation is the fact that just because someone is interested in something does not mean it comes easily; it may still be quite challenging (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). Another personal interest of mine is working out and bodybuilding. I not only research this topic to learn how to improve, but I also put in physical and mental effort in the gym and with regard to diet. This interest is by no means easy, but the challenge is part of the enjoyment, and achieving mastery is never-ending, as I can always improve. This connects to the idea that interest and achievement can go hand in hand, leading to a never-ending cycle of learning and growth (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). To me, working out is worth the effort and worth the challenge. This example highlights that while mastery motivation can stem from personal interest, it still requires effort.

Mastery motivation contributes significantly to student development. Personal goals and interests are influenced by how individuals perceive their capabilities (Seifert & Sutton, 2009).  Mastery-related goals can develop self-efficacy and students' perceptions of their ability to reach the goals they are interested in (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). As teachers, I think it is important to build relationships with our students and understand their interests. We can connect these interests directly in the classroom and then encourage mastery motivation. It is much easier for students to view motivation through performance, or performance-avoidance goals; however, when students realize that motivation can be mastery-driven, it can drastically change their educational experience.

I remember the first time I was driven by mastery in school: In 7th grade, my teacher was quite in-tune with tech, and we had multiple multimodal assignments. I often found myself so interested in creating a video that I could consider perfect. I loved Adam Sandler and all of his movies and TV shows. I wanted to be just like Adam Sandler. Through tech, I could have it all recorded and available for anyone to view at any time. Because of this, I worked on these assignments for hours and would stay up through the night trying to make the tech seamless and the content funny and engaging. I wanted the audience to enjoy the films as much as I did, making them. This motivation was driven by mastery: I was interested in creating multimedia that reflected my humour and personality, and I integrated technology to enhance it and portray my interests.

Mastery motivation, in my experience, can lead to learning in subjects such as technology and many others when integrated creatively into the Ontario curriculum. Mastery motivation led me to where I am today, and I constantly seek personal meaning-making and interest in my learning, so that my motivation is driven by personal growth and a love of learning and knowledge. Even this blog, for example, what motivated me to write about mastery motivation was learning how to help others achieve their mastery potential and proceed in their educational and teaching journeys with greater self-efficacy and confidence in themselves and in their students. As such, highlighting the deep connection between mastery motivation in the learning and development process. 

To end this blog, I will leave you with this question,

How will you motivate yourself and your future students?

LianaK@OTU

References

Seifert, K., Sutton, R. (2009). Educational Psychology (Second Edition).