Contributions from: Bob Utke - University of Minnesota and Mary B. Boat - University of Western Carolina.
Abstract
Mastery motivation is a curious concept. It serves as the fuel of action. The elements of action include the outcomes of past and present learning of a person, the demands of the attending environment, and the desire to act. Without the desire to act, a person will explore little and learn little.
How is the teacher to manage the mastery motivation of her children? The teacher can design the environment and plan specific lessons to teach skills. But, the value of the skills lies in their use. The child, ultimately, controls this use. Teachers will not always be around to energize the child by setting up specific contingencies.
This paper will present a discussion of mastery motivation as an educational goal, with specific reference to social mastery motivation-how a child initiates social interactions to meet different types of social goals. Activities will be planned to illustrate the concepts presented, to help make the abstract ideas tangible and accessible to educators. Assessment and programming strategies will be proposed, with examples across the age ranges of the elementary through secondary years. Research findings will be used throughout as support for the presentation.
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