Expectancy is closely linked to one’s self-perception. According to Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (NursingPlanet, 2012), there are three factors that influence an individual’s perception of their ability to accomplish a task: behaviours, environment, and personal/cognitive. Self-confidence plays a vital role in how we think, feel and behave. The fact that I wasn’t very comfortable with the expectancy x value model, I shunned away from submitting my input in the online group forums. In short, I became disengaged and showed very little interest in this topic.
Value is another critical component in helping learners stay engaged in their learning. Critics, such as Kohn, suggest that extrinsic reward is less effective than intrinsic reward in getting students stay motivated. Even if the latter works, it has a short-term effect. I beg to differ to some degree. According to Lowman (Lei, 2010), “intrinsically motivated individuals are slower to learn new course information if topics are not very interesting to them and less certain of being effective, but they are usually more lasting once they learn the new information.”.
Upon reflecting on my recent learning experience in golf, I have come to realize that in order for someone to stay engaged, the individual will need to demonstrate some level of interest in the task. Despite how hard I try or how many times I practice, I wasn’t making any progress in it. I even started to question why did I enroll in the golf lesson. The ongoing negativity increased as my shots at the driving range went from bad to worse. It didn’t help when my husband was excelling in this game within a short period of time while I had been taking lessons for several months. Eventually I dropped out of the golf lesson as my levels of expectancy and value had hit rock bottom.
While expectancy and value theories are important concepts in understanding student engagement, motivation is a complex issue. It is a result of numerous factors, some of which are within the learners’ controls while others are the results of circumstances, whether it is past or present.
Reference
Nursing Theories. (2012, February 12). Self Efficacy Theory (SET). Retrieved from
NursingPlanet: http://nursingplanet.com/theory/self_efficacy_theory.html
Lei, S. (2010, January 6). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: evaluating benefits and drawbacks
from college instructors' perspectives. Retrieved from FreePatentOnline:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Journal-Instructional-Psychology/231807635.html