A Case Study Investigation into Teacher View’s on Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in the Educate Together Primary School Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this master’s dissertation is to develop a greater understanding of teacher’s views on the use of extrinsic rewards and on the promotion of intrinsic motivation in the primary school classroom. The researcher is interested in the ongoing debate in the educational psychology field on the effectiveness of the two types of motivation in the classroom context. The researcher was eager to hear the views of teachers who, on a practical level, utilise classroom management and motivational strategies to best support pupil learning. Dealing with an interviewee group of Educate Together teachers from the same school, this project is a case study investigation, which used qualitative methods in data collection. The data revealed overwhelming support for the promotion of intrinsic motivation in the classroom. Despite views on the use of extrinsic rewards being mixed, most of the teachers valued praise as an effective extrinsic motivator.