Student motivation: the impact intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards have on elementary students

The purpose of this research study was to determine what happens when intrinsically motivating strategies and an extrinsic reward program are implemented in a fifth-grade inclusion classroom. The intrinsic strategies of enthusiasm, incorporating student choice into the lessons, and cooperative learning groups were used to help teach students during their literacy block. Additionally, an extrinsic reward program was put into effect once the three strategies had already been conducted. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as student motivation surveys, teacher observation checklists, focus group discussions, student written feedback, and observations recorded in my own teacher research journal, were all used to facilitate collecting information and data. Upon categorizing the data and searching for main ideas, the factors that most affected data in this study were related to teacher enthusiasm, student engagement, collaborative learning groups, and an extrinsic reward system incorporating options for students