Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v25i2.4701
Motivating Students to Learn is a Creative Act: A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Beliefs
Nataša Lalić-Vučetić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2439-2622
; Institute for Educational Research
Slavica Ševkušić
orcid.org/0000-0001-7487-8244
; Institute for Educational Research
Abstract
Studies conducted with constructivist and sociocultural approaches have shown that teachers’ beliefs represent a filter through which teachers interpret phenomena within their practice. These beliefs significantly influence their behavior and they are linked to strategies applied in the classroom. The aim of this research was to broaden and deepen the understanding of teachers’ beliefs about student motivation. The sample comprised 30 elementary school teachers from the wider area of Belgrade. Data were collected using the focus group method and the material was analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The results showed that teachers understood the importance of intrinsic motivation for learning and for encouraging student autonomy as one of the key motivational strategies. They were aware of their own responsibility and that motivating students is a creative act that depends on teachers’ individual qualities, skills, and their attitude towards their profession. Bearing in mind that their own professional identity is threatened by the low value attributed to education in society, it becomes clearer how these circumstances can negatively affect the teachers' sense of agency. Generally, the results indicate that teachers should acquire knowledge about students’ motivation more systematically and reflect more on their own beliefs. That is how teachers would become more flexible in relation to system demands and more confident in relying on their own resources and creativity in teaching.
Keywords
elementary school; motivation; learning; motivational strategies, teachers’ beliefs
Hrčak ID:
307013
URI
Publication date:
28.6.2023.
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