Scenario One

 

You have a friend, Daran Brown, who is teaching for the very first time this year at a local high school, and he has not had a motivation class. He tells you his concerns regarding one of his sophomore students, Caitlin. Caitlin is a new student at the high school who moved to Phoenix with her mother this summer from Tucson following her parents’ divorce. Although Daran believes that she is very bright, Caitlin is barely earning a C in Daran’s world history class. She seldom takes notes, even when Daran reviews material for tests, and instead makes jokes to other students about how she does not care about school. Your friend also has overheard Caitlin complain that this history stuff is just boring and that it is too much work to get an A in this class. Daran feels Caitlin is completely unmotivated.

 

Use Scenario One to address the following:

 

1. How would you explain Caitlin’s lack of motivation, in terms of motivational theories, to your friend?

 

2. What detailed suggestions would you give your friend on how he might better motivate Caitlin?

 

In your response, use your knowledge of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, achievement motivation, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation.

 

Be sure to identify the relevant theories and explain how you arrived at your conclusions.