Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation: A study of undergraduate student motivation in science

Abstract

Many individuals who enter into science programs do so because study in this area is a requirement rather than because of a genuine interest in the subject matter. As a result, science educators need to find new ways of motivating today’s learners. One approach is to modify the educational process so that students no longer find themselves in the roles of traditional learners, where the instructor directs them to the information. Instead, they need to become active learners, who take responsibility for their own learning both in and out of the classroom. This study examined the effects of an external motivation approach that utilized a token system known as Microbucks. Qualitative examination of the data showed that students responded favourably and quantitative analysis showed up to a 9.39 percent increase in final grades.