1.3
A Critical Reflection on the Theories of Two Psychologists for Improving Student Motivation

The first educational psychologists theories I would like to explore are those of Rudolph Dreikurs.

Rudolph Dreikurs model of classroom management is a democratic discipline model that can be grouped with the Leadership theoretical bases.
Dreikurs asserts that all behaviour including misbehaviour is “orderly and purposeful and directed towards achieving social recognition”
Meaning that if a students desire for social recognition goes unfulfilled behaviours begin that are based on student’s faulty beliefs about how they can achieve social recognition.
There are four main stages and faulty ideas of how to gain social recognition:
1. Attracting Attention
2. Exercise power
3. Exact revenge
4. Display Inadequacy.

These are ideas that occur in a hierarchical relationship to each other, that is, if the proceeding stage failed to give them a lasting and recognised place in the social life of the classroom, they move down to the next stage of faulty ideas and behaviour.
Dreikurs offers a solution to these behaviour traits through a process of firstly diagnosing the child’s level of behaviour then to lead the student towards an understanding the true nature of their behaviour, being socially recognised. Once this has accrued the student is encouraged and empowered to find positive and creating ways of gaining positive social recognition.
Through un obtrusive questioning designed to allow the student to find his own ways towards the reality behind his behaviour ( this technique could also take the form of personalised letter writing between the student and the teacher if the student feels too intimidated by the interview process),
listening and understanding students motives, conferencing and talking about solutions to instigating logical consequences, a process of encouragement that leads students towards re–aligning negative attention seeking goals towards positive gaols, creating a sense of care, safety and trust in their teacher, peers and school and class room through an open and democratic approach to learning. One problem that could arise out of the use of a democratic process of decision making is that it could require large amounts of time being spent on dealing with the negative behaviours instead of being able to make decisive and good decisions on what to do.


The second educational psychologist I would like to comment on is Dr William Glaser.
Dr William Glasser’s educational theories is again grouped with the Leadership theoretical bases and is know as Choice theory, reality therapy and lead management.

Glasser asserts the following as the base ideas behind his theory. Firstly that the only person whose behaviour we can control is our own and that all of our interactions with people are the mutual exchange of information, how we organise or deal with this information is our own choice. Therefore all psychological problems that we face are based on how we relate to people, they are relationship problems. We have relationship problems when our basic needs, love and belonging, power, freedom, fun and learning are not met in some shape or form. Our behaviour is what we do during life and how we behave is made up of four inseparable components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology. Therefore all behaviour is chosen behaviour. It is chosen and not arbitrary because of the interrelationships between the parts we have direct control over, our acting and thinking, with our feelings and physiology.
Techniques to improve a student’s motivation to learn would centre on developing respect responsibility and problem solving with their peers through the example of how the teacher behaves and interacts with the students and his or her colleagues. The teacher does this through modelling and providing opportunities to learn how to listen, communicate and co-operate, to teach the students how to evaluate their own work emphasising that the essence of quality work is constant improvement. The teacher can minimise behavioural problems through planning lessons that have meaning and relevance to the lives, learning styles and age of the students. The teacher also discusses what needs to be done and encourages the students to help create the lesson with their input to create a sense of belonging and autonomy in the students.

Reference: "Become A Better Teacher" R. Featherstone