Student Motovation Essay, Research Paper
Causes of Decrease in Student Motivation
When I was given the assignment to identify the causes
of decreased student motivation I said to myself
“Screw this, I think I’ll just go party with my
friends and worry about school later.” Then, I
realized I was a perfect example of a student who
lacked motivation. I got to thinking that maybe I
could relate to this topic in a very personal way. A
few of the causes of the decrease in student
motivation are related to delayed gratification for
work done, course work often not applying to the
student’s field of interest, and student’s busy
schedules.
The first cause I am going to discuss is delayed
gratification. In some classes, the students’ progress
can be unclear and as result students don’t get
immediate feedback to motivate them. Assignments and
papers are not always collected or graded.
Professors simply look at assignments to see of it is
done or not. They often don’t know how much or how
little work went into the preparation of an
assignment. All college classes are not worth credit
toward a student’s degree. The students in these
classes are less likely to feel satisfaction upon the
course’s completion. In some cases, the student must
take one to three introductory classes before he or
she rece
Another factor that contributes to the decrease in
student motivation is that the required course work
doesn’t always seem to apply to the students’ field of
interest. Students are not always willing to put time
into studying or working on assignments if the work is
not relevant to them. Students find that it makes more
sense to learn about subjects that directly pertain to
their future jobs. Students are more motivated when
they are learning practical information that they can
put to use.
Busy schedules also hinder student motivation. Often
students are involved in too many activities, which
takes time away from their studies. Some students are
working full or part-time jobs. It is difficult for
these students to put school before work since they
need to deal with financial responsibilities. Other
students are involved with college sports, which can
take up a lot of time and effort. Family schedules
are another large responsibility that can interfere
with the student’s busy school schedule, making it
difficult to set priorities and find time for study.
In conclusion, I feel these are several reasons why
student motivation is decreasing, delayed
gratification, coursework that does not apply to the
students’ field of interest, and students being
involved in too may activities.