What is Intrinsic Motivation?
Every person is driven by two forces: external and internal.
The external forces are the ones that come from outside of ourselves. Rewards, punishments, prizes, bribes, expectations, and pressures are all examples of external motivators.
Internal forces are the ones that come from inside of ourselves, namely our own curiosity, interest, sense of self, personal goals, and values.
When we motivate ourselves from within, we pursue paths not because others are encouraging it in some way, but because WE find it interesting, engaging, valuable, or satisfying. That's Intrinsic Motivation and it's impact can have great benefits for your child and your homeschool.
What Does Intrinsic Motivation Look Like?
Intrinsic motivation often begins with experiences that foster curiosity and personal interest.
A child may observe or hear something in their environment, become curious about it, and then want to pursue it in some way.
When my son came across a book of Origami at the library one day, it led to him checking the book out and taking it home, which led to him asking me to purchase a pack of Origami paper, which of course led to him learning to fold a variety of Origami designs, and finally culminated in him selling origami creations at one of our local homeschool market days.
He observed, he became curious, and he followed his inner interests to see where they could go. He was intrinsicly motivated.
Benefits of Intrinsic Motivation
When a child is intrinsicly motivated, you are likely to see an increase in:
Engagement: Children tend to engage deeply with tasks they find intrinsically motivating, leading to better learning and retention, even if to doesn't follow a linear path.
Creativity: When motivation comes from within, children tend to be more willing to play around with ideas and concepts as they test their own questions na curiosities to see where they can go.
Persistence: Intrinsic motivation helps children stick with tasks longer, even when they face challenges, because they are driven by their own personal goals and satisfaction when they figure things out.
How to Nurture Intrinsic Motivation
Fostering intrinsic motivation can lead to lifelong learning and personal growth, making it a valuable trait to develop and encourage.
One of the best ways to nuture your child's intrinsic motivation is to provide and facilitate opportunities that align with their interests. This is very different from managing their experiences and ideas for them.
When my son's curiosity for origami was piqued, and he asked for a pack of origami paper, I provided it. Then I left it to him to decide where he wanted to take it.
I did not purchase the origami books and paper, come home and tell my son, "today, we're going to learn origami so you can sell it at the market."
When you want to nurture your child's inner motivation, you have to take a step back and allow their internal inerests and ideas to take the lead.
Your job becomes that of a facilitator, more than an instructor, providing opportunities, encouragement and support as needed, without managing the experience or outcomes for your child.
Read more about how to facilitate intrinsic motivation here.