Making the Grade
A Self-Worth Perspective on Motivation and School Reform

Analyzes educational implications derived from self-worth theory in reference to current educational dilemmas.

Martin V. Covington (Author)

9780521348034, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 April 1992

364 pages, 11 b/w illus. 4 tables
23.9 x 15.6 x 2.5 cm, 0.53 kg

'An extensive and thoughtful conversation about achievement behaviour (motivation). It is a book that is hard to put down if one is seriously inquiring into the topic.' Choice

Achievement behaviour in schools can best be understood in terms of attempts by students to maintain a positive self-image. For many students, trying hard is frightening because a combination of effort and failure implies low ability, which is often equated with worthlessness. Thus many students described as unmotivated are in actuality highly motivated - not to learn, but to avoid failure. Students have a variety of techniques for avoiding failure, ranging from cheating to setting low goals which are easily achieved. In Making the Grade, Martin Covington extracts powerful educational implications from self-worth theory and other contemporary views of motivation that will be useful for everyone concerned with the educational dilemmas we face. He provides a comprehensive, insightful review of research and theory, both contemporary and historical, on the topic of achievement motivation, and arranges this knowledge in ways that lead to imminently practical recommendations for restructuring schools.

Part I. The Future and its Discontents: Prospects for building the future
The failure to learn: A motivational analysis
A moral tale
Part II. Motives as Emotions: Need achievement
The model: B = M x P x I
Analysis and critique
Further educational implications
Part III. Motives as thoughts: Cognitions versus emotions
Analysis and critique
Educational implications
Conclusions
Part IV. Self-Worth and the Fear of Failure: Self-worth theory of achievement motivation
An arsenal of excuses
Motivated cognitions and coping
Conclusions
Part V. Achievement Anxiety: A brief history
Integration
Reducing anxiety
Conclusions
Part VI. The Competitive Learning Game: The structure of learning
Scarcity of rewards
Competition and minorities
Conclusions
Part VII. Motivational Equity and the Will to Learn: The problem
Solutions
Global gambit
Conclusions
Part VIII. Strategic Thinking and the Will to Learn: What is thinking?
The evidence
Strategic problems
Problem discovery
The transfer of knowledge
Analysis and conclusions
Part IX. An Immodest Proposal: Serious games
Playing school
Schools and jobs
Prospects and conclusions
Part X. Obstacles to Change: The myths of competition
If not competition, then what?
Conclusions
Appendices
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Educational psychology [JNC]