Intrinsic Motivation Sometimes a student may become fascinated by a subject and be eager to learn more without external influence or help. This type of situation occurs when there is a large amount of intrinsic incentives to motivate a child. It is when a student enjoys an aspect of an activity enough to be motivated within it. An intrinsic incentive could arise in any topic of interest such as dinosaurs, famous people or distant places. However, the topics learned in schools today do not excite children as they find the information useless in their daily lives (Slavin, 2000). The role of self-interest is crucial in a learning situation. It has been shown that an intrinsically motivated child tends to use strategies that require greater effort and which allow him to develop more intensely. They prefer higher level tasks than an extrinsically motivated child (Lumsden, 1994). Internal motivation is more long-lasting than external motivation. When students achieve a feeling of satisfaction, learning occurs more successfully (HCC Intranet, 2001). To ensure that students are intrinsically motivated, teachers must use certain strategies to encourage this type of learning. Praise One of the ways to engage children in intrinsic motivation is to praise students for their efforts in class and encourage more positive learning. It is important to praise a child for small improvements along with big improvements. Some educators with high expectations forget to praise their students as they progressively achieve the desired goal (Palardy, 1997). Praise does not necessarily mean tangible rewards. It's more of a pat on the back, a positive......middle of paper......learning. ERIC Digest, 92. Retrieved November 5, 2001, from http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/Student_Motivation.htm.-The article talks about what influences student motivation and its benefits. It offers intrinsic ideas to help develop student motivation. It also explains why children are unmotivated.Cooper, H. (2001, April). Tasks for total moderation. Educational Leadership, 58, pp. 34-38.-Explain the advantages and disadvantages of homework and whether it works. This is about motivation. Sometimes teachers use homework to motivate their students. Palardy, J. (1997, March). 15 strategies to motivate students. NAESP. Retrieved November 2, 2001, from http://www.naesp.org/comm/p0397b.htm.- List fifteen strategies to use in the classroom to help motivate children. A detailed description is provided after each tip.