Motivation to study and its implication in academic excellence Essay

Motivation to study and its implication in academic excellence - Essay Example Many theories have attempted to define and explain motivation as a basic drive to minimise physical pain and maximise pleasure, the pursuit of a state of being, an ideal or altruistic concept amongst other drives. Motivation is important to teaching and learning because it lays a crucial role in the student’s approach to learning, as understanding their motivation can potentially predict levels of interest and effort placed on the process of learning and consequently academic results. Stipek (1988) proposed a variety of reasons for lack of motivation and behaviours associated with high academic achievement; he specifically found that encouraging intrinsic motivation helped to improve learning outcomes. Intrinsic motivation, however, often requires more effort to generate than extrinsic motivation. To decide if it is worth this extra effort, the degree to which improvements occur has to be quantified to see if results compare favourably to more direct motivational methods, such as high-stakes examinations. Personality profiling may also offer an additional advantage given the widening participation agenda, as different types of motivation may be shown as more effective for students at r isk of failure. This research may consequently lead to suggesting alterations in teaching practice and support mechanisms which enhance the learning process for specific types of students. Following ethical approval, 120 first-year medical students from a single institution were invited to complete an online survey. Response anonymity was ensured through use of a third-party website which collected responses without requesting information which could be used to identify individuals. Ritchie & Lewis stress the need to demonstrate any potential reciprocity when seeking participants so as to ensure a positive relationship with research in general and to make the immediate proposition