Extrinsic motivators focus on what to encourage student behavior?

Extrinsic motivators are designed to encourage specific behaviors in students by providing external rewards or incentives. This often includes tangible rewards such as prizes, grades, or other forms of recognition for exhibiting desired behavior or achieving academic goals. By focusing on rewards for good behavior, extrinsic motivators create a system of reinforcement that can lead to increased engagement and adherence to the desired actions, especially in younger students or those less intrinsically motivated.

While a sense of achievement, the joy of learning, and peer recognition can certainly contribute to motivation, they align more closely with intrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding, whereas extrinsic motivation relies on external factors to drive behavior. By emphasizing rewards for good behavior, extrinsic motivators provide clear incentives that help structure behavioral expectations in educational settings.