Question

Case Study: Mr. Romley notices a group of students in his fifth-grade class who sit together and do logic puzzles during free-learning time in the classroom. He had been planning to distribute the puzzles as part of a lesson, but the group found them in a cupboard and took to working on them together. Mr. Romley is delighted the group uses and enjoys them. He praises them and starts giving them stickers for completed puzzles. After a while, Mr. Romley notices the group spends less time on puzzles than on counting and comparing stickers, that there are frequent arguments about who has finished first, and that the less-competitive children in the group have drifted off to do something else. According to theories of motivation and self-efficacy, what factors and interactions contributed to the students' behavior–positive and negative, before and after Mr. Romley introduced the stickers? Your response must be at least 150 words.

Answer 1

The introduction of stickers impacted the students' behavior by shifting their motivation from intrinsic to extrinsic, introducing competition, affecting self-efficacy, and potentially leading to decreased enjoyment of the activity. This case underscores the importance of carefully considering the role of rewards in the classroom and how they can influence students' motivations and behaviors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The case study of Mr. Romley and his fifth-grade students can be analyzed using motivational theories and the concept of self-efficacy. Here are some factors and interactions that contributed to the student's behavior, both positive and negative, before and after the introduction of stickers:

Before the Introduction of Stickers (Positive Behavior):

Intrinsic Motivation: Initially, the students were intrinsically motivated to work on logic puzzles during free learning time. They found the puzzles exciting and engaging, which is an example of intrinsic motivation - doing something for the joy of it.

Social Interaction: The students collaborated on logic puzzles as a group. This social aspect provided a sense of community, mutual support, and peer encouragement, contributing positively to their behavior.

After the Introduction of Stickers (Positive and Negative Behavior):

Extrinsic Motivation: Mr. Romley introduced stickers as external rewards for completing puzzles. While this initially reinforced their engagement, it also introduced an irrelevant motivation factor - the desire to earn stickers, which can lead to a shift from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation.

Competition: The introduction of stickers and the reward system introduced an element of competition. This can lead to positive behavior, as some students may be driven to excel, and hostile behavior, as others may feel pressured and argue.

Self-Efficacy: Self-efficacy, or one's belief in their ability to perform a task, played a role. Students who felt confident about completing puzzles continued to do so, while those who were less competitive or had lower self-efficacy drifted off to do other activities.

Overjustification Effect: The students' shift from enjoying puzzles to focusing more on stickers may be due to the overjustification effect. When external rewards (stickers) are introduced for an activity they initially found intrinsically motivating, the students may perceive the puzzles as less enjoyable and become more preoccupied with the rewards.