The Influence of Beliefs on Motivation to Learn

How we see ourselves will affect how we live our life. This also certainly happens within learners. How learners see their selves usually affects the way they learn. Learners have their own beliefs toward themselves. There are statements such as “I can do today test well because I have learnt all night” or “I think I cannot pass the algebra test though I learn hard because I do not inherit math skill.” The sort of those statements reflects a belief of a learner. In other words, a belief is “a cognitive idea that is accepted true without necessarily definitive evidence to support it.” Generally people will accept their belief true without conclusive proofs because they experience it their selves and create self-conclusion toward their ability.

As what I have experienced since school age, my belief on my ability does affect the motivation to learn. When I was in senior high school I got good score in science test, I put high expectation that I could do even better for next science test. This describes expectation as belief about future outcomes.  In this case, my past experience affected my expectation for the future test. Because the teacher gave compliment since I showed a progress on science subject, I was motivated to do even better than before. The feeling of satisfaction of finishing a test well made me more confident and put more belief on my own ability.

In another science test I did not do it well. As the result I got low score even I had to do remedial to fulfill my responsibility for getting standard score of science subject. Then I did reflection about why I did not do it well. Firstly I made an assumption that I was lucky for getting good score in the first science test. Since I often felt I had to put hard effort in understanding science or math. Yet, finally I realized that it was my effort which made the first and the second science test score different. I understood well the material for the first science test because I study hard on it even I did group discussion and study together with my peers before the test. For the second test even though I studied the material but I did not study together with my peers. I assumed that I could do it myself yet the result was disappointing. In this case I put a belief about intelligence that I viewed I had no skill on science but then I realize it could be improved through study hard. This affected my motivation to learn science more and do better performance.

Another thing that influences my motivation to learn science and do better on it is attribution. Based on attribution theory people will put effort to figure out the underlying causes to make sense of their own behavior or performances. I examined how I could get good score at the first science test and why I got lower score for the second science test. After knowing the cause, that it was not because my intelligence but because I did not put sufficient efforts for the second science test,  I was more motivated to study science well and do better for the next test.

I say that it was because I did not study hard for the test when I got lower score for my science test because I believe on my capability on science subject. It relates to my belief on my capability or is well-known as self-efficacy. Self –efficacy is a belief that ones are capable in doing specific task. I do believe if I had studied hard about what was about to be tested, I would have not gotten lower score for science.  This belief drives me to learn and do better on science.

Starting to be interested in science, I have to leave it because I enter different path in college. I take English major in Sampoerna School of Education (hereafter SSE). This is out of my control not to choose science as my major in college. Yet, I find it interesting study about educational field in SSE, especially the courses that relate to psychology. Moreover I am still motivated to finish my study in SSE because my parents want me to have bachelor degree. However, it is not enough to keep my motivation to learn and finish my study in SSE because as what attribution theory says that learners who are intrinsically motivated will persist longer than those who are extrinsically motivated. During study Education and English in SSE, I find many experiences that change my expectation about future outcome. Study in SSE let me think to myself about many things especially about my goal that I want to reach after I graduate from SSE.

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References:
Reading Materials of Motivation and Management for Students for Effective Learning. Retrieved from  

 http://sse-elearning.net/mod/resource/view.php?id=1820