Motivation in the process of learning

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Motivation in the process of learning
Motivation is an aspect that has attracted a number of researchers whose aim is to research on the topic and offer their views regarding the same. The notion motivation applies in all aspects of life. According to studies, motivation is a major factor that should be considered if individuals are to perform their level best in all activities(Vallerand, 1993). For instance, in organizations, motivation has been pointed out as one of the major factors that results to success through productivity enhancements; in learning, students are able to perform better only when they are motivated. Studies have revealed that motivation is an essential element of learning (Corno and Randi, 1997).Motivation is defined as the aspiration to attain a specific objective, combined with the energy to work towards achieving that goal (Boekaerts, 1998). Motivation is something which directs, energizes, and maintains behaviour and in learning, it assists students in moving forward, points them in a specific direction and furthermore keeps them going (Turner and Meyer, 1998).Frequently, students` motivation is mirrored in personal investment and in emotional, cognitive and behavioural engagement in various school activities(Boekaerts, 1998; Corno and Randi, 1997). This paper will seek to explain the role of motivation in the learning process.
Essentially, students are motivated in various ways. For instance, some students may be deeply interested in classroom activities and as a result, look for challenging course work, take part in class discussions, which leads them to earning better grades on assigned projects. On the other hand, other students may be interested in the social side of the school, attend extracurricular activities, and interact frequently with students. Motivation is of specific interest to various academicians including educational psychologists due to the essential role it plays in the process of learning. Nevertheless, the particular type of motivation which is studied in the education setting is in terms of quantitative factors from the general forms of motivation that are studied in other fields by psychologists (Corno and Randi, 1997).
It is apparent that learners who are motivated to learn employ complex cognitive learning processes. Certainly, motivation to undertake a specific activity comes about in various ways. For instance, it can be either a personality characteristic or a long lasting interest in a particular activity. There are various theories of motivation some of which put forth that motivation is tied to the perception that past behaviours which have been rewarded are more probable to be repeated by students in future(Boekaerts, 1998). Thus past experiences are believed to motivate learners to take part in future ones. Students` motivation which is influenced by their teachers` expectations also plays a vital role in enhancing the process of ...