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STUDENTS PERSPECTI VES /

ADDRESSI NG UNDERLYI NG MOTI VATI ON
This Quick Training Aid was excerpted from a Guidebook entitled: What Schools
Can Do to Welcome and Meet the Needs of All Students, Unit VI, pp 16-17 and
Unit VII, pp 23-28. Center for Mental Health in Schools (1997).
Beyond discipline, is a need to address the roots of misbehavior, especially the underlying
motivational bases for such behavior. Consider students who spend most of the day trying
to avoid all or part of the instructional program. An intrinsic motivational interpretation of
the avoidance behavior of many of these youngsters is that it reflects their perception that
school is not a place where they experience a sense of competence, autonomy, and or
relatedness to others. Over time, these perceptions develop into strong motivational
dispositions and related patterns of misbehavior.
Misbehavior can reflect proactive (approach) or reactive (avoidance) motivation.
Noncooperative, disruptive, and aggressive behavior patterns that are proactive
tend to be rewarding and satisfying to an individual because the behavior itself is
exciting or because the behavior leads to desired outcomes (e.g., peer recognition,
feelings of competence or autonomy). Intentional behavior stemming from such
approach motivation can be viewed as pursuit of deviance.
Of course, misbehavior in the classroom often also is reactive, stemming from avoidance
motivation. This behavior can be viewed as protective reactions. Students with learning
problems can be seen as motivated to avoid and to protest against being forced into
situations in which they cannot cope effectively. For such students, many teaching and
therapy situations are perceived in this way. Under such circumstances, individuals can be
expected to react by trying to protect themselves from the unpleasant thoughts and feeling
that the situations stimulate (e.g., feelings of incompetence, loss of autonomy, negative
relationships). In effect, the misbehavior reflects efforts to cope and defend against
aversive experiences. The actions may direct or indirect and include defiance, physical and
psychological withdrawal, and diversionary tactics.
Interventions for such problems begin with major program changes. From a
motivational perspective, the aims are to (a) prevent and overcome negative
attitudes to school and learning, (b) enhance motivational readiness for learning
and overcoming problems, (c) maintain intrinsic motivation throughout learning
and problem solving, and (d) nurture the type of continuing motivation that results
in students engaging in activities away from school that foster maintenance,
generalization, and expansion of learning and problem solving.
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Failure to attend to these motivational concerns in a comprehensive, normative way results
in approaching passive and often hostile students with practices that can instigate and
exacerbate problems. After making broad programmatic changes to the degree feasible,
intervention with a misbehaving student involves remedial steps directed at underlying
factors. For instance, with intrinsic motivation in mind, the following assessment questions
arise:
Is the misbehavior unintentional or intentional?
If it is intentional, is it reactive or proactive?
If the misbehavior is reactive, is it a reaction to threats to self-determination,
competence, or relatedness?
If it is proactive, are there other interests that might successfully compete with
satisfaction derived from deviant behavior?
In general, intrinsic motivational theory suggests that corrective interventions for those
misbehaving reactively requires steps designed to reduce reactance and enhance positive
motivation for participating in an intervention. For youngsters highly motivated to pursue
deviance (e.g., those who proactively engage in criminal acts), even more is needed.
Intervention might focus on helping these youngsters identify and follow through on a
range of valued, socially appropriate alternatives to deviant activity. From the theoretical
perspective presented above, such alternatives must be capable of producing greater
feelings of self-determination, competence, and relatedness than usually result from the
youngster's deviant actions. To these ends, motivational analyses of the problem can point
to corrective steps for implementation by teachers, clinicians, parents, or students
themselves. (For more on approaching misbehavior from a motivational perspective, see
Adelman and Taylor, 1990;1993; Deci & Ryan, 1985.)
On the following pages are two versions of an interview
instrument that can be used to elicit a students perception
of the problem and underlying motivation to address the
problem. One form of the tool is for older students, the
other for young students.
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(Version 1: For use with all but very young students)
Student's View of the Problem -- Initial Interview Form
Interviewer ______________________ Date______________
Note the identified problem:
Is the student seeking help? Yes No
If not, what were the circumstances that brought the student to the interview?
__________________________________________________________
Questions for student to answer:
Student's Name _______________________________ Age _____ Birthdate
___________
Sex: M F Grade ________ Current Placement ______________________
Ethnicity __________ Primary Language ______________________
We are concerned about how things are going for you. Our talk today will help us to
discuss what's going O.K. and what's not going so well. If you want me to keep what we
talk about secret, I will do so -- except for those things that I need to discuss with others
in order to help you.
(1) How would you describe your current situation? What problems are you experiencing?
What are your main concerns?
(2) How serious are these matters for you at this time?
1 2 3 4
very serious Not too Not at
serious serious all serious
(3) How long have these been problems?
___ 0-3 months ___4 months to a year ____more than a year
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(4) What do you think originally caused these problems?
(5) Do others (parents, teachers, friends) think there were other causes?
If so, what they say they were?
(6) What other things are currently making it hard to deal with the problems?
(7) What have you already tried in order to deal with the problems?
(8) Why do you think these things didn't work?
(9) What have others advised you to do?
(10) What do you think would help solve the problems?
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(11) How much time and effort do you want to put into solving the problems?
1 2 3 4 5 6
not at all not much only a more than quite a bit very much
little bita little bit
If you answered 1, 2, or 3, why don't you want to put much time and effort into
solving problems?
(12) What type of help do you want?
(13) What changes are you hoping for?
(14) How hopeful are you about solving the problems?
1 2 3 4
very hopeful somewhat not too not at all hopeful
If you're not hopeful, why not?
(15) What else should we know so that we can help?
Are there any other matters you want to discuss?
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(Version 2: For use with very young students)
Student's View of the Problem -- Initial Interview Form
Interviewer ______________________ Date______________
Note the identified problem:
Is the student seeking help? Yes No
If not, what were the circumstances that brought the student to the interview?
______________________________________________________________
Questions for student to answer:
Student's Name _______________________________ Age _____ Birthdate
___________
Sex: M F Grade ________ Current Placement ______________________
Ethnicity __________ Primary Language ____________________
We are concerned about how things are going for you. Our talk today will help us to
discuss what's going O.K. and what's not going so well. If you want me to keep what we
talk about secret, I will do so -- except for those things that I need to discuss with others
in order to help you.
(1) Are you having problems at school? ___Yes ___No
If yes, what's wrong?
What seems to be causing these problems?
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(2) How much do you like school?
1 2 3 4 5 6
not at all not much only a more than a Quite a bit Very
little bit little bit much
What about school don't you like?
What can we do to make it better for you?
(3) Are you having problems at home? ___Yes ___No
If yes, what's wrong?
What seems to be causing these problems?
(4) How much do you like things at home?
1 2 3 4 5 6
not at all not much only a more than a Quite a bit Very
little bit little bit much
What about things at home don't you like?
What can we do to make it better for you?
(5) Are you having problems with other kids? ___Yes ___No
If yes, what's wrong?
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What seems to be causing these problems?
(6) How much do you like being with other kids?
1 2 3 4 5 6
not at all not much only a more than a Quite a bit Very
little bit little bit much
What about other kids don't you like?
What can we do to make it better for you?
(7) What type of help do you want?
(8) How hopeful are you about solving the problems?
1 2 3 4
very hopeful somewhat not too not at all hopeful
If you're not hopeful, why not?
(9) What else should we know so that we can help?
Are there any other things you want to tell me or talk about?