Which is an example of a teaching strategy that uses intrinsic motivation?

Which is an example of a teaching strategy that uses intrinsic motivation?

• A. Designing lessons that tap into students' own personal interest
• B. Providing extra credit for completing homework assignments
• C. Calling students to tell them when their children do a good job in class
• D. Free time as a reward for good classroom behavior

Answer: (A)

Fostering intrinsic motivation in the classroom comes from engaging students through their own interests and sense of relevance. When learning activities connect to what students genuinely care about, curiosity drives participation, effort, and persistence because the activity feels meaningful in itself, not because something external is promised or demanded. Designing lessons that tap into students’ personal interests builds that internal drive, supports autonomy, and encourages self-directed exploration. The other strategies rely on external rewards rather than internal desire to learn. Extra credit for homework provides a motive tied to a score or reward rather than the task’s inherent value. Telling parents about a child’s good work uses social praise from outside the student, which can shift motivation outward. Free time as a reward for good behavior offers a tangible perk that can undermine internal interest if students learn to work mainly for the reward. So, the best example of intrinsic motivation is shaping lessons around students’ personal interests, which nurtures engagement from within the learner.

Fostering intrinsic motivation in the classroom comes from engaging students through their own interests and sense of relevance. When learning activities connect to what students genuinely care about, curiosity drives participation, effort, and persistence because the activity feels meaningful in itself, not because something external is promised or demanded. Designing lessons that tap into students’ personal interests builds that internal drive, supports autonomy, and encourages self-directed exploration.

The other strategies rely on external rewards rather than internal desire to learn. Extra credit for homework provides a motive tied to a score or reward rather than the task’s inherent value. Telling parents about a child’s good work uses social praise from outside the student, which can shift motivation outward. Free time as a reward for good behavior offers a tangible perk that can undermine internal interest if students learn to work mainly for the reward.

So, the best example of intrinsic motivation is shaping lessons around students’ personal interests, which nurtures engagement from within the learner.