How Rewards Ruin Results at School
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Picture two families. In one family, children are rewarded for getting great grades, receive stars on a star chart (and eventually goodies) for completing homework, are frequently asked about school performance, and have their report cards carefully analysed by parents. These parents are involved!
In the other family, children are encouraged to ask questions and be curious, to persist when school work is difficult, and to think of new ways to demonstrate new things that have been learned in the classroom. These parents are also involved, but encourage their children to make their own decisions about their learning. The children are required to be responsible for these decisions.
A study has been published in the most recent volume of the Journal of Educational Psychology (vol 101, 729-739). Gottfried and several other researchers have been examining how what we do as parents impacts on children's motivation for maths and science.
This rigourous longitudinal study shows some important results for ALL parents who care about their children's academic results.
In a nutshell, not all parental involvement is good for children when it comes to children's motivation to do well at school - and not all parental involvement is good for children when it comes to their performance at school.
When parents were encouraging but avoided using rewards with their children, motivation to do well was actually higher for kids. When parents used more control and rewards, children had lower motivation for school, and in particular, maths and science.
These patterns were seen from age 9 through to age 17. When parents use rewards, punishments, and "consequences", motivation began low and continued downward until the age of 17.
The moral of the study is that parental control and "consequences" (or punishments and rewards) do not have the intended outcome - they simply do NOT motivate children.
In fact, this is not entirely true... they motivate children to get rewards or avoid consequences. However, they do not build motivation in kids, nor do they enhance academic outcomes.
If you want to motivate your children to do well at school;
Encourage children's curiosity (what do you think? where could we get an answer?)
Encourage persistence (I know if you keep trying you can get this)
Encourage mastery (if you practice, you'll become an expert, you can do anything if you practice enough)
Encourage challenge-seeking (that seemed so easy, sorry to have wasted your time. Perhaps we can find something that is a challenge).
The key word in each of these tips is not 'reward'. The key word is "encourage".
Before I finish this blog, I want to remind you to visit "How to Have Happy Families" at www.facebook.com for even more information and discussion about the many exciting and challenging aspects of being a parent.
In the other family, children are encouraged to ask questions and be curious, to persist when school work is difficult, and to think of new ways to demonstrate new things that have been learned in the classroom. These parents are also involved, but encourage their children to make their own decisions about their learning. The children are required to be responsible for these decisions.
A study has been published in the most recent volume of the Journal of Educational Psychology (vol 101, 729-739). Gottfried and several other researchers have been examining how what we do as parents impacts on children's motivation for maths and science.
This rigourous longitudinal study shows some important results for ALL parents who care about their children's academic results.
In a nutshell, not all parental involvement is good for children when it comes to children's motivation to do well at school - and not all parental involvement is good for children when it comes to their performance at school.
When parents were encouraging but avoided using rewards with their children, motivation to do well was actually higher for kids. When parents used more control and rewards, children had lower motivation for school, and in particular, maths and science.
These patterns were seen from age 9 through to age 17. When parents use rewards, punishments, and "consequences", motivation began low and continued downward until the age of 17.
The moral of the study is that parental control and "consequences" (or punishments and rewards) do not have the intended outcome - they simply do NOT motivate children.
In fact, this is not entirely true... they motivate children to get rewards or avoid consequences. However, they do not build motivation in kids, nor do they enhance academic outcomes.
If you want to motivate your children to do well at school;
Encourage children's curiosity (what do you think? where could we get an answer?)
Encourage persistence (I know if you keep trying you can get this)
Encourage mastery (if you practice, you'll become an expert, you can do anything if you practice enough)
Encourage challenge-seeking (that seemed so easy, sorry to have wasted your time. Perhaps we can find something that is a challenge).
The key word in each of these tips is not 'reward'. The key word is "encourage".
Before I finish this blog, I want to remind you to visit "How to Have Happy Families" at www.facebook.com for even more information and discussion about the many exciting and challenging aspects of being a parent.
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