James Jackson

Donald, thanks for sharing. I specifically connected with your intrinsic motivation of seeing your students take care of their patients appropriately. I can easily see this as a two sided motivation in that it is intrinsic because you truly care and want to see your students become successful as healthcare professionals. It can become extrinsic as someday one of your students may be a caregiver to yourself and others you may know so the skills you pass on to your students will become the same skills used in your own care. Very interesting topic with respect to different levels of motivation and impacts many areas of education.

Regards,

James Jackson

donald tharpe CHEP

My extrinsic motivation would be to maintain job security by being a superb instructor at the workplace. My intrinsic motivation would be to produce a student that is academically prepared to work confidentally in healthcare and be able to take care of their patients appropriately.

Alicia Scelsi

Hello Dr. Jackson,

I liked what you said about being an educator vs. a teacher. An educator is intrinsic to one's nature. I think that makes alot of sense. Yes, I have read the Tipping Point but it was many years ago in graduate school. It is a great book. I would like to find my copy and reread it. Thank you so much for your thoughts on the matter. I've really enjoyed the course.

Thanks so much,
Alicia

Giovanni Sealey

Great Post Nancy!!!!
James, you could not be more SPOT ON!!!
I have found over the years speaking with colleagues that adjunct instructors interested in teaching "to supplement their income" (extrinsic) have shorter careers than those who consider the achievements and goals of their students as important.

James Jackson

Thanks for your feedback Scelsi. There are no directly correct or incorrect answers here. There is also a bit of a sliding scale for some while others are very clear about their personal beliefs within any differences they perceive about intrinsic versus extrinsic motivators. A question I like to ask is how you define the difference between being an educator versus a teacher. Teaching to me is a job and it has boundaries along with specific rules and desired outcomes that tend to be directed by outside agencies or controlling bodies. Being an educator is more of a passion and something you basically cannot control in your own personality. An example is a person that is not paid to teach yet educates on a regular basis because it is in their nature. If you were wealthy and did not have to work to sustain your preferred way of life, would you still be an educator? Would you still be a teacher? Would you be doing something totally different and totally outside the normal ideological norms of being an educator? As you self reflect on these questions you may find more solid answers with respect to how you truly define the difference between intrinsic versus extrinsic motivators.

If you are a reader and have not yet read the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, I highly suggest it as a great read. In the book, Gladwell discussed three basic types of individuals, Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen. These individuals tend to be these types not so much because they are extrinsically motivated to perform these actions but their personalities drive them to become these types of individuals. I feel the discussion about extrinsic and intrinsic motivators of teachers is a related discussion as well as being a teacher versus an educator.

Some deep stuff her for sure but interesting as well. Hope to hear from others on this topic and specifically about what I have listed here in this discussion. All ideas and opinions are always welcome.

Regards,

James Jackson

Alicia Scelsi

I must admit that it was a bit hard for me to separate intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators. I am intrinsically motivated by my enjoyment of teaching, but I think my intrinsic motivation is fueled by my extrinsic rewards. For instance, I enjoy seeing students achieve success in my class. I enjoy receiving positive feedback from students and my colleagues and department head. And, I like getting paid. So, this was a bit hard for me to separate the two motivators. I wonder if intrinsic and extrinsic motivations can be fully separated, or if they are very much dependent upon each other?

In terms of extrinsic motivators, I have seen my priorities change over the years. In my early years of teaching, to be honest, I was very motivated by performance and how other colleagues and students viewed me. I wanted to be liked and was constantly nervous about my teaching/presentation style. Now, as I have gotten older and more experienced, my perspective has shifted to become less self focused more student focused. I am much less nervous about my teaching style, content knowledge, etc. and more concerned with meeting student needs, recognizing when students might be struggling, and finding ways to increase student involvement in the course. I still have much to learn in these areas though. This course has given me food for thought when thinking not only about my intrinsic and extrinsic motivators but also of my students’ motivators and how I can aid in their learning.

Deborah Lyons

My intrinsic motivation includes the need to excel at what I do and my desire to pass on knowledge to others.
My extrinsic motivation stems from the need for a paycheck and my employer's expectations of me.

James Jackson

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic Nancy. I think your comments are shared by many. My personal experience has been most successful instructors I have encountered, those that achieve the learning objectives with their students, tend to focus more on the achievements for their students than for themselves. This is not to say that motivation through extrinsic pathways are not equally as rewarding and drivers towards success - they are necessary but tend to be of less focus.

I would be very interested in any comments by others reading this discussion topic.

Regards,

James Jackson

Nancy Harrell CHEP

I really lke this question because I mostly think of myself as being intrinsically motivated. I always want to do my best at everything I do and to be the best in my field. However, I do have extrinsic motivators too. I want the administration at my school to recognize and appreiciate that I am doing a good job as an instructor. One thing that is most motivating to me is someone telling me I did a good job.

Amy Newton

My intrinsic motivation is seeing the students when they have "aha!" moments. I love to see them grow and develop in their field.

My extrinsic motivation comes from the students' appreciation and success.

Maribeth Abbott

My motivation is to help empower my student to partake in a new career. The adult learner needs to feel empowered, and valuable. Intrinsically, I am motivated to deliver the lesson plan and to adapt it to each student. Extrinsically, the thank yous and the "ah, I get it now" is all that it takes for me.

Michael Adams

I’m a commercial vehicle driving instructor. One of the first obstacles our students face is an intimidation factor. Being at the controls of a 40 ton, 65 foot vehicle can be very intimidating. I have four students on the truck, with an assortment of personalities, life experiences and intimidation factors. I only have 12 days to produce positive results. I must rapidly assess these factors and develop a personalized plan for each student.

After a decade of this experience, I still find the successful final result, nothing short of amazing. Twenty years ago I took this same course as a student. I fully understand the student’s perspective. Many of my adult students are involved in an economically induced career change and there are stressful underlying factors at play. My level of understanding and the tools that I must deploy fluctuate with each passing class. My intrinsic motivation is rooted in the amazing 12 day process. I find the never ending and continuously changing factors intellectually stimulating.

My extrinsic motivation lies in my desire to be the best. Receiving the recognition of my peers and supervisors is powerfully stimulating.

Tammy Grigas CHEP

My intrinsic motivation comes from my desire to the best job I can at whatever I am doing -- I don't want to let myself or my students down. My extrinsic motivators are seeing the satisfaction of my students when they accomplish a goal they have set for themselves and I know that I have helped them to do it.

James Jackson

Carol, thanks for sharing and I love to hear from those that love their work. Can you provide some more information as to your experience with watching your students grow and share your love for respiratory therapy? How have you noticed the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of your students and how might they have changed over time?

Thanks for any additional information you can provide.

carol herron

My intrinsic motivation comes from the love I have for the feild of practice that I am also teaching. I have worked as a respiratory therapist for 26 years. My extrinsic motivation is seeing the students grow and learn to share that love.

James Jackson

Thanks for your feedback Teresa. Breaking down seemingly complex concepts and processes is what teaching is really all about. If everyone was able to breakdown the complex into the simple and more understandable then they would not need to take time to participate in formal education. Such levels of communication between teacher and student are a true skill and one that all instructors should work hard to master. The development of effective teaching and ultimate student learning has taken many years to progress but we are finally at a point where the data is very clear, students learn best when they do not feel threatened by the subject matter or by their leadership which in most cases is their instructor. By understanding the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and making use of this knowledge in your teaching delivery, your students will truly benefit and walk away from your class with the desired learning outcomes.

Thanks again for sharing.

Teresa O'Connor

The level of intellectual stimulation needs to be on an abstract level for me, but I enjoy making what appears complex, simple to understand by breaking it down for the students. This is the intrinsic motivation which leads to the extrinsic gratification. I get great satisfaction from sensing the students understand complex matters within the Psychology and Ethics subject matter.