Student Motovation Essay Research Paper Causes of

Student Motovation Essay, Research Paper

Causes of Decrease in Student Motivation

When I was given the assignment to identify the causes

of decreased student motivation I said to myself

“Screw this, I think I’ll just go party with my

friends and worry about school later.” Then, I

realized I was a perfect example of a student who

lacked motivation. I got to thinking that maybe I

could relate to this topic in a very personal way. A

few of the causes of the decrease in student

motivation are related to delayed gratification for

work done, course work often not applying to the

student’s field of interest, and student’s busy

schedules.

The first cause I am going to discuss is delayed

gratification. In some classes, the students’ progress

can be unclear and as result students don’t get

immediate feedback to motivate them. Assignments and

papers are not always collected or graded.

Professors simply look at assignments to see of it is

done or not. They often don’t know how much or how

little work went into the preparation of an

assignment. All college classes are not worth credit

toward a student’s degree. The students in these

classes are less likely to feel satisfaction upon the

course’s completion. In some cases, the student must

take one to three introductory classes before he or

she receives college credit.

Another factor that contributes to the decrease in

student motivation is that the required course work

doesn’t always seem to apply to the students’ field of

interest. Students are not always willing to put time

into studying or working on assignments if the work is

not relevant to them. Students find that it makes more

sense to learn about subjects that directly pertain to

their future jobs. Students are more motivated when

they are learning practical information that they can

put to use.

Busy schedules also hinder student motivation. Often

students are involved in too many activities, which

takes time away from their studies. Some students are

working full or part-time jobs. It is difficult for

these students to put school before work since they

need to deal with financial responsibilities. Other

students are involved with college sports, which can

take up a lot of time and effort. Family schedules

are another large responsibility that can interfere

with the student’s busy school schedule, making it

difficult to set priorities and find time for study.

In conclusion, I feel these are several reasons why

student motivation is decreasing, delayed

gratification, coursework that does not apply to the

students’ field of interest, and students being

involved in too may activities.