Classical Education Dr. Steve Bourgeois on Motivation and Praise: How to Encourage Intrinsic Motivation
About our Guest
Steven J. Bourgeois, PhD has been a practicing teacher for the past 32 years. Working primarily in Oregon and Texas, he has taught high school German, string orchestra, humanities, and applied music in addition to several years as a head tennis coach. After completing a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2012, he accepted a position as Executive Director of Research, Evaluation, and Instruction at Responsive Education Solutions, one of the largest charter school organizations in Texas. After recently retiring, Dr. Bourgeois has transitioned to full-time educational consulting, focusing services on teacher attrition, distributive leadership, student motivation, and classical methods. Leveraging his skills in data analytics, survey design, and data visualization, he currently supports leaders in independent, traditional public, and charter schools. Dr. Bourgeois currently serves as an adjunct professor at UT Arlington teaching doctoral-level courses in qualitative research. Additionally, he teaches courses within the Classical Education Department of the Braniff Graduate School at the University of Dallas. Dr. Bourgeois has a record of publications in peer-reviewed educational journals and presentations at state, regional, national, and international conferences in the areas of student motivation and engagement, along with conceptual pieces on authentic engagement and intrinsic motivation.
Research by Dr. Bourgeois
Teaching as Entertainment: An Examination of Effects
High-achieving, cognitively disengaged middle level mathematics students
The indirect effects of school leadership on achievement
Praise in the elementary classroom: The teacher’s perspective
Contingent rewards in the elementary classroom: The teacher’s perspective
Intrinsic motivation and authentic engagement: A conceptual discussion
Motivation for academically gifted students in Germany and the US: A phenomenological study
Show Notes
Dr. Bourgeois, Adrienne, and Trae discuss potential solutions to cultivating motivation so students can develop true virtue. They discuss modern research and the effects of praise on student motivation. Some classical school have beautiful mission statements, but their practice does not necessarily align with the philosophical truths that encourages internal motivation. For true virtue formation, students and teachers need intrinsic motivation and this is a bit more complicated than most typical practices in schools today.
Some practical questions in this episode include:
- Please define for our listeners the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. What exactly is motivation and what role might it play in the life of a school?
- Is it really the job of the teacher to motivate students? And at the Highschool level (Which is where we are working) is there any hope in saving the curious nature of the learner inside of them?
- How do we get away from an excessive assesment mentality?
- Should we give prizes for reading?
- What does Charlotte Mason say about motivation?
- How can we encourage teachers today who want to transition to a more classical way of approaching student performance?
These questions help us to wrestle with the idea that all education ought to be humane and focused on helping students with internal motivation. The expectations of parents, teachers, and boards on can hamper the experience of a truly classical educaiton.
Resources and Quotes Mentioned In This Episode
Old School podcast Episode 25: On Motivation and Learning
Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason quote: “the Desire of Knowledge (Curiosity) was the chief instrument of education; that this desire might be paralysed or made powerless like an unused limb by encouraging other desires to intervene between a child and the knowledge proper for him; the desire for place,––emulation; for prizes,––avarice; for power,––ambition; for praise,––vanity, might each be a stumbling block to him.... the delightfulness of knowledge is sufficient to carry a pupil joyfully and eagerly through his school life and that prizes and places, praise, blame and punishment, are unnecessary insofar as they are used to secure ardent interest and eager work. The love of knowledge is sufficient.”
Essay by Simone Weil (correct title was not stated on the podcast):
Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies With a View to the Love of God by Simone Weil
“'Motivation' has become the bete noire of modern educators. How can the young be moved to learn? By rewards and promises of rewards? By such inducements the young will go through the motions of education, but they will remain unmoved. But how then? Why, by exposing them to the Muses, where no phenomenon is seen except under the aspect of wonder. Mistake me not: wonder is no sugary sentimentality but, rather, a mighty passion, a species of fear, an awe-full confrontation of the mystery of things. Through the Muses the fearful abyss of reality first calls out to that other abyss that is the human heart; and the wonder of its response is, as the philosophers have said, the beginning of philosophy not merely the first step; but the arche, the principle, as one is the principle of arithmetic and the fear of God the beginning of Wisdom. Thus wonder both starts education and sustains it."
- Dennis Quinn
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Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Used with permission. cellists: Sara Sant' Ambrogio and Lexine Feng; pianist: Alyona Waldo
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