Reinforcing effort and providing recognition are the key elements in chapter 2 of our text (Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, & Stone, 2012). Often seen as positive reinforcement by some researchers, reinforcing effort and providing recognition support the growth of self-confidence in students. However, other researchers argue that providing extrinsic rewards for students decreases intrinsic student motivation. This is particularly noted on page 21 in our text. Some districts (See Incentivizing Attendance Should We Reward Kids for Coming to School? (Attendance Works, 2010) are even paying students to attend school.
Research has found several key principles in which rewards and recognition can be meaningful for students:
- Students need to be taught about the relationship between effort and achievement.
- Students need to be provide explicit guidance about what it means to expend effort.
- Students need to track their own effort and achievement.
What are your thoughts on this? What experiences have you had with the use of rewards in your classroom and in your school?
Post your comments on the questions below:
• Would you say that rewards have been effective in increasing student motivation and performance within the classroom?
• How does your school reinforce effort and provide recognition? Can you give some examples? Does your school have a program of recognition for students or is it just up to the classroom teachers?
• Are teachers expected to reinforce effort within the classroom and provide recognition for students, publicly, as well?
Sample Solution