Alfie Kohn'S Motivational Theories

“Kohn’s Motivational Theory”

Kohn's Ideas About Education
                                                     Kohn's ideas on education have been influenced by the works of John Dewey and Jean Piaget. He believes in a constructivist account of learning in which the learner is seen as actively making meaning, rather than absorbing information, He has written that learning should be organized around "problems, projects, and questions – rather than around lists of facts, skills, and separate disciplines. “

KOHN THEORY OF MOTIVATION

    Kohn theories are based on intrinsic motivation               

“Extrinsic Rewards Reduce Intrinsic Motivation”

Alfie Kohn’s work critiques many aspects of traditional education, namely the use of competition or external factors as motivation. Kohn maintains that societies based on extrinsic motivation always become inefficient over time. He argues that positive reinforcement only encourages students to seek out more positive enforcement, rather than truly learn.

He believes that the ideal classroom emphasizes curiosity and cooperation above all and that the student’s curiosity should determine what is taught. Fundamentally Kohn; and many other advocates against extrinsic motivators, view the use of rewards (or punishments) as “Do this and you’ll get 

that!”

Punishment by Reward (1986)

“Do this and you’ll get that”

This is the method of "Carrot and Stick" used by our parents to train the children, by the teachers to educate the students and by our leaders to manage their employees.

Kohn demonstrates that people do inferior work when they are enticed with money, grades, or other incentives. Rewards and punishments are just two sides of the same coin — and the coin doesn’t buy very much. Kohn explains, is an alternative to both ways of controlling people.

Kohn’s Factors to Build Intrinsic Motivation

·       

  Collaboration requires that the members of the group or classroom rally around the true concept of working together for the success of the group.

·         Content requires that the task, job, or learning experience cover a fulfilling and rewarding role. (this might be called Meaningfulness)

·         People must be afforded the maximum amount of Choice in what and how they perform their tasks or work. This facilitates buy-in and participation.

Strategies

Alfie Kohn develop strategies that tap children’s natural desire to explore ideas:

·         Creating A curriculum that is meaningful and relevant to students’ interests

·         Bringing students in on the process of making decisions about their learning

·         Transforming classrooms into caring communities where students feel safe and connected to others, and moving away from traditional grading in favour of more constructive and learner-centred approaches

Kohn’s Approaches in The Classroom

• 
  
• To implement Kohn’s approaches in the classroom, teachers can allow students to explore the topics that interest them most. Students “should be able to think and write and explore without worrying about how good they are,”
• ·         Multiple activity centres with various classroom structures for group work
• ·         Displays of student projects
• ·         Students exchanging ideas
• ·         A respectful teacher mingling with students
• ·         Students excited about learning and actively asking questions
• ·         Multiple activities occurring at the same time

Kohn explains that rewards fail for five reasons:

1. Rewards punish

2. Rewards rupture relationships

3. Rewards ignore reasons

4. Rewards discourage risk-taking

5. Rewards destroy intrinsic motivation for the things we do                                                           

      Fundamentally Kohn; and many other advocates against extrinsic motivators, view the use of rewards (or punishments) as “Do this and you’ll get that!”

Various issues in the process of curriculum development and change

Various issues in the process of curriculum development and change