Plan A Did Not Work. How to Develop Academic Resilience & Increase Motivation in Your Student

Format

Poster Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Winthrop University

Second Presenter's Institution

NA

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This presentation focuses on the head and heart of the student at risk. The academic achievement is addressed through timely research on brain development and psychology. A strong emphasis on social and emotional skills, the heart, is considered as the topics of academic motivation and resilience are explored.

Brief Program Description

This presentation focuses on developing the motivational skills and academic resilience for the student at risk. We begin by emphasizing the need for these skills and the research supporting this assertion. Participants are then given strategies on sharing productive feedback with their students while building academic resilience and increasing student motivation.

Summary

Motivating children from lower socio-economic communities is critical because these children are adversely affected by a complex set of risk factors involving academic achievement and leadership as well as social and emotional skills. This poster presentation seeks to encourage a positive dialogue between presenter and conference attendees in understanding how academic resilience, intrinsic motivation, and emotional intelligence can positively affect a student in many areas of his life including the emotional, psychological, and intellectual domains. Recognizing the strong nature of evidence that supports these concepts will strengthen the educator’s resolve to keep the notion of developing academic resilience, intrinsic motivation, and emotional intelligence as a yearlong objective for all students.

Providing strategies and practices to use in the classroom is the next step toward positive action. Sample lessons, conversation examples, and classroom activities will engage the participants in applying these concepts into the classroom. Meeting the two objectives of understanding the nature of academic resilience, intrinsic motivation, and emotional intelligence and learning strategies and best practices to apply the concepts will enable the educator to effectively develop these skills with the student at risk. These goals will be achieved through the use of visual aids, handouts, and pertinent strategies to develop and include in the classroom curricula.

The target audience is classroom teachers, teacher–leaders, and administrators.

Evidence

The research in the areas of psychology and motivation strongly support the notion of developing intrinsic student motivation and academic resilience. Early motivational studies harken back to Maslow (1970) and his ideas of a “hierarchy of needs.” Meeting the basic needs of a child become more pronounced in a lower socio-economic environment. Bradley & Corwyn (2002) found that a child in a stressful home environment will struggle with sustaining a healthy social and academic life. As teachers focus on the more complex needs of academic achievement and social development, the concept of academic resilience strongly correlates with motivation. Mouton & Hawkins (1996) demonstrate in their studies that students who feel like no one cares about their lives will have a decrease in academic motivation. Having a caring, dependable adult in a child’s life will facilitate the motivational development of that child.

Intrinsic motivation is critical for a student to gain the autonomous and self-determined academic resilience needed for success. Research conducted by Gagne & Deci (2005) illustrate the importance of moving from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation. Students find interest in the subject and enjoyment in achieving set goals. For many underachieving students this can be strengthened by a focused effort from the teacher to develop these skills. In addition, Harris (1998) found that because peers have the greatest influence on school-age students, improving student motivation and academic resilience often has an effect on the entire class and encourages a group mentality of hard work and achievement.

Emotional intelligence plays a key role in these efforts as well. Goleman (2002) emphasizes the relationship between emotional intelligence and achievement. Dweck (2004) concurs in her work on motivating students. She contends that there is no relation between a student’s intelligence and the ability to master goals. Students must be taught to persevere through difficult challenges and learn to face adversity. This will enable students to reach their academic goals.

This presentation considers the vast amount of research on intrinsic motivation, emotional intelligence, and academic resilience as it seeks to demonstrate and discuss with the participants the necessity of emphasizing these skills with the student at risk.

References:

Bradley, R.H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child develop-

ment. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 371-399.

Dweck, Carol S. (2000). Self- Theories:Their role in motivation, personality, and

development. Psychology Press.

Gagne, Marylene, & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self determined theory and work

motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26 (4), 331-362.

Goleman, Daniel. (2006). Emotional intelligence. Bantam.

Harris, J.R. (1998). The nurture assumption. New York: W.H. Norton.

Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper & Row.

Mouton, S. G., & Hawkins, J. (1996). School attachment perspectives of low-

attached high school students. Educational Psychology, 16(3), 297-304.

Biographical Sketch

During her 30 year career Dr. Tammy Joy Burnham has taught elementary school, directed learning centers, and taught at the college level. She currently teaches at Winthrop University in the Curriculum & Pedagogy Department. Her work as Guardian ad Litem for the Governor's Office of SC has motivated her passion for helping at risk youth develop their potential and experience success in and out of the classroom.

Keyword Descriptors

Student motivation, Academic resilience, Positive reinforcement, Emotional intelligence

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

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Mar 7th, 4:00 PM Mar 7th, 5:30 PM

Plan A Did Not Work. How to Develop Academic Resilience & Increase Motivation in Your Student

Harborside East & West

This presentation focuses on developing the motivational skills and academic resilience for the student at risk. We begin by emphasizing the need for these skills and the research supporting this assertion. Participants are then given strategies on sharing productive feedback with their students while building academic resilience and increasing student motivation.