Definition of Motivation Motivation
14 regarded as intangible rewards. Students who are perceived as having a good
academic reputation may often be asked for academic help and are associated with students who excel Gest et al., 2008. Deci and Ryan 1985 found that using
rewards in an academic setting resulted in a significant improvement in students’ motivational levels. Moneta and Spada 2009 suggest that individuals who are
extrinsically motivated by an expected reward increase their effort to complete the task and earn an incentive.
Besides the controversy of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, Lumsden and Linda 1994 investigated that passion to learn seemed to shrink as children grew.
As children grow, learning sometimes becomes compulsion than pleasure. The similar idea is revealed by Goldberg 1994 in Broussard 2002, who points out
that an intrinsic orientation toward education switches to a more extrinsic orientation as children increase in age. On the contrary, Zemke and Zemke 1988
argue that there is transition from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation in the college classroom. The students need to come to class to learn because learning is
intrinsically motivating, rewarding, exciting and of real benefit to the students. Research on adult learners indicated that learners are most motivated when they
see relevance to their learning, engage in the learning process and feel that they can meet their interests and needs ibid.
It should be noted that some studies have found significant relationship between specific types of motivation and academic achievement. Intrinsic
motivation was found to have a significant effect on students learning and performance in an empirical study Deci et al., 2004. Several studies have shown
positive correlations between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement e.g. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15 Gottfried, 1985, 1990; Harter Connell, 1984; Henderlong Lepper, 1997;
Lloyd Barenblatt, 1984. Afzal, Ali, Khan and Hamid 2010 found that students who were intrinsically motivated performed much better academically
than students who were extrinsically motivated. Extrinsically motivated students might perform very well in one semester or quiz to achieve a certain reward or
goal and then next semester might show poor performance because the reward did not exist anymore. Their performance did not remain constant as a result. While,
intrinsically motivated students were truly interested in learning and in achieving high goals. Their overall performance was consistent.
On the other hand, recent research conducted to with college-student populations revealed that students who
had high extrinsic motivation had positive achievement Barron Harrackiewicz, 2001; Elliot McGregor, 2001; Harackiewicz, Barron, Pintrich, Elliot, Trash,
2002 in Lepper, Corpus Iyengar, 2005. Students who were particularly focused on the extrinsic consequences of their behaviors did particularly well on objective
indicators of performance. A study conducted amongst students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, found
that factors leading to academic achievement occurred interactively Dass- Brailsford, 2005. For example, family pressure might contribute to a decrease in
students’ motivational levels. However, students who were highly intrinsically motivated might counteract these negative factors from their families ibid, 2005.
Muller and Louw 2004 assert that extrinsic factors, such as a supportive social environment can foster intrinsic motivation. Davis, Muller and Middleton 2006
state that intrinsic and extrinsic variables are likely to interact with each other to support an individual in reaching their desired targets.
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