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Rewards and motivation in the classroom.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Findings from meta-analyses on the effects of rewards on students' performance and motivation as well as a consideration of social cognitive theory suggest a set of strategies for using rewards in educational settings. In this article, we briefly describe the research literature on rewards, performance and motivation, and we discuss the importance of tying rewards to achievable challenging standards of performance. In addition, we provide guidelines for setting up effective incentive programs in classroom settings.

Introduction

The use of rewards in educational settings is an issue that has generated controversy. On one side of the debate are researchers and writers from the humanist tradition who argue that rewards are detrimental. (e.g., Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 1999; Kohn, 1993). From the humanist perspective, structured environments, interventions by teachers, and reward systems are seen as forms of external control that limit individual expression and freedom. Specifically, the concern is that rewards may entice students to perform an activity but, once the rewards are no longer available, students' intrinsic motivation to engage in activities is undermined. Researchers on the other side of the debate argue that negative effects of reward are limited and that the appropriate use of rewards can boost performance and lead to a personal sense of intrinsic motivation (e.g., Cameron, Banko & Pierce, 2001; Eisenberger & Cameron, 1996; Dickinson, 1989; Flora & Flora, 1999). Over the past few years, the debate has moved beyond the question of whether rewards are inherently harmful or beneficial. Instead, researchers recognize that the effects of incentives and reward programs depend on the types of rewards used, how rewards are allocated, and the context in which rewards are administered. The purpose of this article is to describe research on the topic of rewards, performance, and motivation; to summarize the research findings; and to discuss the implications of the findings for educational settings.

Research On Rewards, Performance And Motivation

Much of our understanding of the reward process comes from experimental research on the topic. Since the 1970's, numerous experiments, using a common set of procedures, have...