Weiner’s
attribution theory (1980, 1992) is probably the most influential
contemporary theory with implications for academic motivation. It
incorporates behaviour modification in the sense that it emphasizes the
idea that learners are strongly motivated by the pleasant outcome of
being able to feel good about themselves. Attribution theories of
motivation describe how an individual, explains, justifies and/or
excuses their own and other’s influences motivation (Woolfolk, 2004,
p.354)
Bernard
Weiner created the framework we use today in terms of achievement.
According to Weiner, most of the causes to which students attribute
their successes or failures can be characterized in terms of three
dimensions: locus (location of the cause internal or external to
the person), stability (whether the cause stays the same or can
change), and responsibility (whether the person can control the
cause).
Certain individuals in common class portray Attribution theories which
are controlled in a negative light (Jessie Heath, 2007). Firstly,
locus is related to an individual’s self-esteem. When a students’
learning failure is attributed to internal factors, self esteem can be
diminished. Teacher doesn’t need to highlight that he or she was having
difficultly with the Exposition task to the entire class, by asking one
of the student’s work to others could also decrease one’s self-esteem.
Another example shown in the classroom is most
of the students lack a sense of self-esteem and competence. Students
need a ‘re-assurance’. When a student is ‘unsure of herself’, and
‘reluctant to have a go Andrea is ‘frustrated ‘and ‘gives up easily if
the work is too hard’.
Secondly, The
stability dimension is related to expectations about the future. For
example, when Ruth attributes her failure in a task, or subject to a
stable factor such as subject difficulty, which is ‘external, stable and
uncontrollable’ she is likely to presume she will fail that subject in
the future. Thirdly, the controllability dimension is related to
emotions. For instance when a student fails to complete task relating to
Exposition text, he feels his failure is uncontrollable, and becomes
aggressive, and angry. The student could feels helpless and is reluctant
to attempt work he assumes he will not be able to complete tasks. Not
producing any work is a major learning problem.
Must
goal orientations that attainable
Goal orientations are patterns of beliefs about goals related to
achievement in school. Goal orientations include the reasons we pursue
goals and the standards we used to evaluate progress toward those goals
(Woolfolk, 2004, p.359).
Goal setting has proven to be an effective way of ‘improving skills and
striving to accomplish a task or activity’. By setting goals students
are able to: - ‘direct their attention to the task at hand, mobilise
effort, increase persistence and promote development of new strategies’
(Woolfolk and Margetts, 2007, p. 383). The lack of goal setting for
the activity had a direct impact on the motivation of the students.
There are four main goal orientations –mastery (learning), performance
(looking good), work-avoidance, and social (Murphy & Alexander, 2000;
Pintrich & Schunk, 2002, as cited in Woolfolk, 2004, p.359). The main
problems arisen in a classroom are the teacher is too goal oriented and
the lack of goal setting for the activity had a direct impact on the
motivation of the students. Firstly, teacher only wants to see
the final result that the student able to go the high school with high
mark. It seems that she disregard the process of learning and improving
the student skills and knowledge in the classroom. She only wants a good
result in reading, writing, math and other subject. Secondly, she
set up the students with performance goals. The children found it
difficult to relate to the subject, they misunderstand the topic and
were unable to master the task; therefore students are made to look
stupid and are no longer motivated to try next time.
*) Yusdi Maksum
(yusdi.maksum@yahoo.com.au)
The author currently studies Postgraduate Diploma in Education at The
University of Newcastle Australia, graduated from University of
Yogyakarta State.