Choose one of the following two scenarios with activities and respond to the questions for the scenario you selected.
Scenario One
You have a friend, Daran Brown, who is teaching for the very first time this year at a local high school, and he has not had a motivation class. He tells you his concerns regarding one of his sophomore students, Caitlin. Caitlin is a new student at the high school who moved to the Valley with her mother this summer from Tucson following her parents’ divorce. Although Daran believes that she is very bright, Caitlin is barely pulling a C in Daran’s world history class. She seldom takes notes, even when Daran reviews material for tests, and instead makes jokes to other students about how she does not care about school. Your friend also has overheard Caitlin complain that this history stuff is just boring and that it is too much work to get an A in this class. Daran feels Caitlin is completely unmotivated.
Use Scenario One to address the following:
1. How would you explain Caitlin’s lack of motivation, in terms of motivational theories, to your friend?
2. What detailed suggestions would you give your friend on how he might better motivate Caitlin?
In your response, use your knowledge of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, achievement motivation, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation.
Be sure to identify the relevant theories and explain how you arrived at your conclusions.
Scenario Two
You have a friend, Emily Weller, who is teaching for the very first time this year at a local high school, and she has not had a motivation class. She tells you her concerns about one of her freshman students, Drew. Although Drew has a C+ in Emily’s biology class, she feels that he is capable of learning much more and of even being an A student. Yet Emily believes that Drew is unmotivated to put forth much effort. For instance, Drew often complains to other students that the class is too much work, and who cares about this biology stuff anyway? In addition, after a recent test in which Drew received a D, Emily overheard Drew talking to another student. Emily was dismayed to hear Drew say, Why bother studying? You get it or you don’t. And I don’t. So studying is not going to change anything.
Use Scenario Two to address the following:
1. How would you explain Drew’s lack of motivation in terms of motivational theory to your friend?
2. What detailed suggestions would you give your friend on how she might better motivate Drew?
In your response, use your knowledge of attributions, entity versus incremental views of ability, and task-involved versus ego-involved learners.
Be sure to identify the relevant theories and explain how you arrived at your conclusions.
While GCU style format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected and in-Educational Psychology: Developing Learners citations and references should be presented using GCU documentation guidelines, which can be found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.
