Student Motivation and its Effects on Student Achievement

Effective teachers do not only transfer knowledge to students, but are reflective and eager to understand their students so as to establish a culture in the classroom that supports student achievement. This paper will focus on what motivation means, how to get students motivated, and the impact of motivation on student attitude both inside and outside the classroom. Also, the paper will address the place of the parent as role model and the impact of their involvement on their children’s education.

Student Motivation and its Effects on Student Achievement

Every child has the capability to be a great learner or student and that capacity is present at every stage in their lives. Unfortunately these learning potentials are not always maximized because the right procedures are not always implemented by classroom teachers. Gottfried defines motivation as “enjoyment of school learning characterized by an orientation toward mastery; curiosity; persistence; task endogeny; and the learning of challenging, difficult, and novel tasks.” Although the relationship between motivation and academic achievement for at-risk students is not well defined (Long, 2007), research has revealed that a strong relationship between high academic motivation and academic achievement exists (Hoang, 2007). The effect of academic motivation on academic achievement as it relates to at-risk students, and the general student body is what this research paper investigates.

Existing Knowledge of Academic Achievement

Views of Motivation

There exist several theories as researchers examine what motivates individuals to achieve. However, there are two major views of motivation of measuring motivation are achievement goal theory and s...

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... Grroup Work, 34(2), 118-136. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Gottfried, A., et. Al (2009). A Latent Curve Model of Parental Motivational Practices and Developmental Decline in Math and Science Academic Intrinsic Motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 729-739. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Hoang, T. N. (2007). The Rleations between Parenting and Adolescent Motivation. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 3(2), 1-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Long, J. F. et. al (2007). Academic Motivation and Achievement among Urban Adolescents. Urban Education, 4(3), 196-222. Retrieved from .

Warner, C. B., & Phelps, R. E. (2008). The Relationship between Motivational Orientation & Educational Aspirations in Urban, African American Youth. Middle Grades Research Journal, 3(2), 71-85. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.