While plenty of research happens with primary (elementary and middle) and secondary (high) school students, limited research focuses on post-secondary students pursuing a vocational career. That’s unfortunate given the number of students who enroll in beauty schools to become licensed pros. Even worse, many of those who complete their training still fail their licensing exam. How can we improve the educational experience? Is a lack of motivation to blame?
“The more we study the more we discover our ignorance.” – Percy Bysshe Shelley
Let’s start by asking a simple question: what motivates you to study? Even if you’re not currently a student, you can answer this questionnaire* that contains a number of statements concerning your reasons for studying. After you read each statement, please respond according to what you believe is true of yourself. For each statement, there are four possible responses:
1 – This is never true of me.
2 – This is sometimes true of me.
3 – This is often true of me.
4 – This is always or almost always true of me.
To respond, write the number that best fits your first reaction on the line preceding the statement. Don’t respond according to what you think a student should say. There are no right or wrong answers and your response to one statement should not influence your response to another statement.
____ I study because I want a good job in the future.
____ I study because I don’t want to be disliked by an instructor.
____ I study because I like knowing new things.
____ I study because I want to get better grades than my classmates.
____ I study because I feel good when I overcome stumbling blocks and failure.
____ I study because I want people to see how smart I am.
____ I study because I am pleased when I can solve a difficult problem.
____ I study because I am very curious.
____ I study because I want to attain status in the future.
____ I study because I don’t want my classmates to make fun of me.
____ I study because I want to be proud of getting good grades.
____ I study because I like challenging difficult problems.
____ I study because I enjoy discovering how much I have improved.
____ I study because I want to get good grades.
____ I study because I like to use my head.
____ I study because I want to be praised by my instructors and family.
____ I study because I don’t want to fail quizzes and tests.
____ I study because I want to be noticed by my friends.
____ I study because it’s interesting to solve problems.
____ I study because I want to graduate and get licensed.
After completing the questionnaire, consider how you would have responded as a high school student. Does the subject matter make any difference? In the next post, I’ll explain what your responses reveal about your motivation and how that impacts your ability to learn and apply information.
*Questionnaire based on the work of Hyamizu and Weiner (1991) exploring the relationship between goals and perceptions of ability.
An earlier version was published by Beauty Cast Network.