MOTIVATIONS ON REWARDS AND

PUNISHMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

student do obey and performs well in

class.

2BES1 BY: ROMA BLAISE G. FLORES

A teacher knows who are the

students
that
are
motivated
and
unmotivated through the results of their
activities in the classroom. To put some
motivation for students, they provide
rewards that can be intrinsically or
extrinsically
expressed.
An
intrinsic
reward is an intangible award of
recognition, a sense of achievement, or a
conscious satisfaction like academic
awards, compliments from the teachers
and
parents,
and
recognition
of
colleagues in the classroom. An extrinsic
reward is an award that is tangible or
physically given to you for accomplishing
something. Extrinsic rewards can be
incentives, exclusion from classroom
activities and additional points for the
grades and medals. (Mike W, 2014).

The classroom should be inviting.

Inviting in a sense that the students must
have a productive environment which
they can learn and work together (Kyle
Vanderlick, 1942). Classroom must be a
place where success is attainable by all
which means that the teacher must have
to be fair and square, dealing with the
students so that there will be no biases
and improper discussion with the
students. In the classroom, it does have a
two-way process comprising of a teacher
and a student. Teachers do use rewards
such as incentives and punishment such
as sanctions to students with the common
goal to keep the students motivated to
learn and study.
In the Philippines, it adopts the
American style of teaching like the use of
English language as a medium of
discussion and conversation with the
student. But earlier than the American
Style, the Spanish style of teaching is a
vocational training but not the traditional
schooling type. But they do influence the
education in the Philippines through
religious subjects that can be seen until
today.
During the Spanish period,
rewards and punishments are already
implemented. The most common means
to discipline the students was corporal
punishment. It is where the teacher is
expected to be the second parents of the
students and holds a paddle or yardstick
and punish the students that violate the
rules inside the classroom. But today, the
corporal punishment is stopped and new
kinds of punishment are already implied
such as detention, suspension and
explosion. (Thomson Reuters, 2015).
Rewards such as food, privileges (the use
of gadgets inside the room), incentives (in
quizzes & projects) and exceptions (in
recitation or exams) are given if the

Behaviorist psychologists (Skinner,

1953) said that behavior can be explained
by humans motivation to approach
pleasant and desirable results and also to
avoid unpleasant and undesirable results.
The pleasant results create a reward that
boost the behavior whereas if unpleasant
results are formed, it creates punishment,
which reduces the chance that a behavior
will happen. This mean that if the
students have the urged to accomplish
the reward, they will be motivated to
learn and study more while the opposite
will happen if the students do not have
the desire to accomplish the reward.
Goal Orientation Theory suggested
that students do perform either the
Mastery goal (Mastery oriented) or
Performance
goal
(Performance

oriented).
(Michael
Yough
&
Eric
Anderman, 2009). Students that are
focused on learning or mastering the
task, interested in self-improvement, and
students that compare their current
achievements to their past achievements
do achieve the mastery goal. While for
the Performance goal, they are the

students that are competitive and outgoing while making the other students as
their point of comparison and selfmotivation, rather than themselves.
These goals are divided into the approach
and avoid orientation which means that
every student that follows or performs the
Mastery goal, do perform an approach
and avoidance orientation and the same
goes to the Performance goals. Mastery
goal students are motivated to master
the task, this follows the approachorientation but if the student avoids
misunderstanding of the task, this
performs the avoidance orientation.
Performance goal students are motivated
to act that they are more knowledgeable
than the others and this is the approach
orientation
while
the
avoidance
orientation of the performance goals is
that they avoid to appear stupid or
unskilled in the eyes of others. Saying
that both goals do follow a certain
motivation that is rewarded through
grades can be justified with their
orientation and same goes with the goals
that are motivated to avoid punishments
(looking stupid) themselves.
Teachers are also motivated by the
desire to serve and share knowledge to
the students. But teachers also wants the
student to avoid violations that may lead
them to certain kind of punishment.
Punishments do occur because there are
violations on rules and regulations inside
the classroom that the student did.
Punishments tend to cause anger, desire
to violate more rules and change in
behavior which can affect the growth of
the student. There are four factors that
lead to chronically violent behaviors:
broken social bonds, stress and conflict, a
culture of violence and unhealthy brains.
(Brendtro and Long, 1995). Because of
these factors, it may affect the well-being
of the student that is why through
rewards and punishment, these factors
can be avoided. Teachers must use
punishment, to be effective in the class,
with a positive reinforcement to avoid the

negative side effects such as if the

student is always being punished, in the
course of time, they may become
unmotivated to study which can be
justified through poor attendance and
work output. One of the goals why
punishments are applied is to discipline
the students and let them reflect on their
wrongdoings.
Rewards and Punishments always
go together whether it is a classroom,
office or personal setting. Back in the
days rewards and punishments can be
seen and because of this it influences
what kind of classroom orientation we
have today. In the classroom, rewards and
punishments are important to develop
their motivations and to discipline them
while they are learning. Observing
directly to the students motivation is
something cannot be done because
recognizing
the
motivation
is
a
hypothetical construct because it is
something that we can only infer. (Samuel
Ball, 1977). But only the act of describing
the students motivations can be done
with the use of the sense at the same
time there is no way to directly measure
it with our current knowledge. Realizing
that the application of rewards and
punishments to the students and school
leads to changes in motivation and
growth that will affect the student and the
way the student interact with the society.

References:
Vanderlick, K. (1942). A Vision of a
Classroom.
http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/v42
/n9/teach.html
Reuters, T. (2015). Discipline and
Punishment: Student Codes of
Conduct and Discipline
Policies.http://education.findlaw.co
m/student-conduct-anddiscipline/discipline-and-

punishment--student-codes-ofconduct-and-discipli.html
Mike, M. (2014). Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Rewards (and Their Differences
from Motivations).
http://comumnity.lithium.com/t5/Sci
ene-of-Social-blog/IntrinsicExtrinsic-Rewards-and-Theirdifference-from/ba-p/128969
Skinner 1953. In Kaplan, A. ( 2010).
Intrinsic and Extrinsic
Motivation.http://www.education.co
m/reference/artilcle/intrinsic-andextrinsic-motivation.

Yough, M. & Anderman, E. (2009). Goal

Orientation Theory.
http://www.education.com/referenc
e/article/goal-orientation-theory/
Brendtro and Long (1995). The Threat and
Reality of Violence in Your School.
In Cangelosi, J., (2000). Classroom
Management Strategies. United
States of America: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Ball, S. (1977). Motivation in Education.
United States of America: New
York: Academic Press, Inc.

The classroom should be inviting. Inviting in a sense that the students must
have a productive environment which they can learn and work together (Kyle
Vanderlick, 1942). Classroom must be a place where success is attainable by all
which means that the teacher must have to be fair and square, dealing with the
students so that there will be no biases and improper discussion with the
students. In the classroom, it does have a two-way process comprising of a
teacher and a student. Teachers do use rewards such as incentives and
punishment such as sanctions to students with the common goal to keep the
students motivated to learn and study.
In the Philippines, it adopts the American style of teaching like the use of
English language as a medium of discussion and conversation with the student.
But earlier than the American Style, the Spanish style of teaching is a vocational
training but not the traditional schooling type. But they do influence the education
in the Philippines through religious subjects that can be seen until today. During
the Spanish period, rewards and punishments are already implemented. The
most common means to discipline the students was corporal punishment. It is
where the teacher is expected to be the second parents of the students and
holds a paddle or yardstick and punish the students that violate the rules inside
the classroom. But today, the corporal punishment is stopped and new kinds of
punishment are already implied such as detention, suspension and explosion.
(Thomson Reuters, 2015). Rewards such as food, privileges (the use of gadgets

inside the room), incentives (in quizzes & projects) and exceptions (in recitation
or exams) are given if the student do obey and performs well in class.
A teacher knows who are the students that are motivated and unmotivated
through the results of their activities in the classroom. To put some motivation for
students, they provide rewards that can be intrinsically or extrinsically expressed.
An intrinsic reward is an intangible award of recognition, a sense of achievement,
or a conscious satisfaction like academic awards, compliments from the teachers
and parents, and recognition of colleagues in the classroom. An extrinsic reward
is an award that is tangible or physically given to you for accomplishing
something. Extrinsic rewards can be incentives, exclusion from classroom
activities and additional points for the grades and medals. (Mike W, 2014).
Behaviorist psychologists (Skinner, 1953) said that behavior can be
explained by humans motivation to approach pleasant and desirable results and
also to avoid unpleasant and undesirable results. The pleasant results create a
reward that boost the behavior whereas if unpleasant results are formed, it
creates punishment, which reduces the chance that a behavior will happen. This
mean that if the students have the urged to accomplish the reward, they will be
motivated to learn and study more while the opposite will happen if the students
do not have the desire to accomplish the reward.
Goal Orientation Theory suggested that students do perform either the
Mastery goal (Mastery oriented) or Performance goal (Performance oriented).
(Michael Yough & Eric Anderman, 2009). Students that are focused on learning
or mastering the task, interested in self-improvement, and students that compare
their current achievements to their past achievements do achieve the mastery
goal. While for the Performance goal, they are the students that are competitive
and out-going while making the other students as their point of comparison and
self-motivation, rather than themselves. These goals are divided into the
approach and avoid orientation which means that every student that follows or
performs the Mastery goal, do perform an approach and avoidance orientation
and the same goes to the Performance goals. Mastery goal students are
motivated to master the task, this follows the approach- orientation but if the
student avoids misunderstanding of the task, this performs the avoidance
orientation. Performance goal students are motivated to act that they are more

knowledgeable than the others and this is the approach orientation while the
avoidance orientation of the performance goals is that they avoid to appear
stupid or unskilled in the eyes of others. Saying that both goals do follow a
certain motivation that is rewarded through grades can be justified with their
orientation and same goes with the goals that are motivated to avoid
punishments (looking stupid) themselves.
Teachers are also motivated by the desire to serve and share knowledge to
the students. But teachers also wants the student to avoid violations that may
lead them to certain kind of punishment. Punishments do occur because there
are violations on rules and regulations inside the classroom that the student did.
Punishments tend to cause anger, desire to violate more rules and change in
behavior which can affect the growth of the student. There are four factors that
lead to chronically violent behaviors: broken social bonds, stress and conflict, a
culture of violence and unhealthy brains. (Brendtro and Long, 1995). Because of
these factors, it may affect the well-being of the student that is why through
rewards and punishment, these factors can be avoided. Teachers must use
punishment, to be effective in the class, with a positive reinforcement
to avoid the negative side effects such as if the student is always being punished,
in the course of time, they may become unmotivated to study which can be
justified through poor attendance and work output. One of the goals why
punishments are applied is to discipline the students and let them reflect on their
wrongdoings.
Rewards and Punishments always go together whether it is a classroom,
office or personal setting. Back in the days rewards and punishments can be
seen and because of this it influences what kind of classroom orientation we
have today. In the classroom, rewards and punishments are important to develop
their motivations and to discipline them while they are learning. Observing
directly to the students motivation is something cannot be done because
recognizing the motivation is a hypothetical construct because it is something
that we can only infer. (Samuel Ball, 1977). But only the act of describing the
students motivations can be done with the use of the sense at the same time
there is no way to directly measure it with our current knowledge. Realizing that
the application of rewards and punishments to the students and school leads to

changes in motivation and growth that will affect the student and the way the
student interact with the society.

Compulsory