Friday, February 5, 2016
Research brainstorm
For my research topic, I'm thinking of writing about what motivates students in College. Why do some students excel in their academics while others don't? Why do some students choose to prioritize partying and drugs over their grades? What methods must be taken to motivate a student? Personally, I think many students come to college with a specific level of motivation or dedication that they have developed throughout their lives; but, I feel as though the environment of college allows some of this previous motivation to either grow or shrink. The fact that students have some independence and are around others who are the same age takes a part in this as well without a doubt.
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A couple of years ago, I read a popular book on motivation theory titled Drive by Daniel Pink, which is widely available and an interesting place to start thinking about this topic.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.danpink.com/drive/
http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594488843/
This is not an "academic" or "scholarly" work, but it offers a useful survey of the theory of motivation -- especially the emerging model of internal motivation -- and discusses all of the key names in the field. I think you would find it a very useful starting point to further research.
You might want to ask a specific question about motivation and college students. One that occurs to me is: How does major choice affect academic motivation? Today, many students choose majors less out of personal interest than out of an eye toward the job market. What will earn me the most money upon graduation? Sometimes students choose majors due to parental pressure ("I want my son to be a doctor!") rather than personal commitment. In choosing a major based on "the money," you are following purely external rewards. Choosing a major out of interest means you are following internal motivation and rewards. That difference can affect motivation.
ReplyDeleteA student last semester looked at college majors -- though his final project ended up being about how we can help more minorities and women to succeed in STEM areas. But he might have some interesting sources:
http://cortescollege201.blogspot.com/