Online+Explorers

Online Explorers
Phillip Banks, Irene Dorocicz, and William Hunter

=Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs¹ theory  and its implications for learner motivation =

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Abraham Harold Maslow was born April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York.He was influential in the development of the "third force" of psychology known as Humanistic Psychology. Humanist theories have had a strong impact on Adult Learning. For the humanist, the goal of education is self-actualization. One of Maslow's most recognizable and enduring contributions to the field of humanist psychology and adult learning is his Hierarchy of Needs theory of motivation .===== 

Back to top 1. Physiological needs:

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The key to understanding Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that the various needs of a person have different priorities with regards to the order in which the individual will attempt to satisfy them; and the addressed needs of an individual need to be satisfied from the bottom up: in other words, the lowest level needs must be satisfied before the individual is interested in focusing on needs on the higher level. On the first level are the most basic physiological needs: =====



 * =====Food =====
 * =====Shelter =====
 * =====Clothing =====

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These are items that the individual needs to survive. If the individual is hungry, dressed in rags and has no roof over his head, he will not be interested in the material you are trying to teach in your course, as they do not address his physiological needs. =====

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What can the instructor do? The instructor needs to monitor the all of the students in a class. If there is a student that is having trouble with the course, the instructor should identify this trouble as soon as possible in the semester, and offer the student the opportunity to discuss any problems during office hours. Many academic institutions have counseling departments who would be better able to assist the student in addressing any physiological needs, therefore instructors should be aware of the student resources offered by their school, and be able to provide helpful suggestions to the student. Many instructors are reluctant to discuss these issues with students due to a perceived concern that they are invading the student’s privacy, but these types of students are strongly motivated to have their physiological needs met, and if a preliminary discussion with the instructor indicates that the student wants help, the instructor should be prepared to direct the student to the appropriate resources. =====

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Safety needs are met when individuals "know what to expect" and are "safe" because their environment is reliable and predictable. In other words, if the individual does something very good, somewhat good or just OK, the reaction to their activity is consistent with their expectations. Safe can be translated to mean predictable and appropriate. Safety needs are deficit needs which means; when they are met, they are taken for granted (not typically acknowledged), but when they are not being met - they can dominate a persons behaviour and thoughts. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How can an instructor ensure that safety needs are being met? Students want to know what type of response they will receive for a certain quality of work. If an instructor would like to encourage class participation - it is important to encourage those people who participate. This encouragement should accurately match the quality of the participation but should range from positive to very positive. Grading of papers should be done using thorough rubrics with adequate clarity as safety needs can become a concern during evaluative events. Grading strategies should be clear and the expectations should be available for the students to work with and should then be followed by the instructor. =====

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Belongingness constitutes one of the lower needs in the hierarchy. According to Maslow, once physiological and safety needs have been sufficiently satisfied people look to address their need for belongingness. Humans are social, tribal animals. Individuals seek love, affection, acceptance, and a sense of belonging from others in the groups they are a part of, or wish to be a part of. Achieving a sense of belonging can reduce feelings of loneliness and alienation and contribute to reducing stress and emotional distraction. Family, friends, lovers, life partners, co-workers, neighbours, and fellow students are examples of categories of social groupings that individuals may look to belong to. Instructor's should be mindful that a positive sense of belonging in the classroom can positively impact an individual's motivation to learn. An instructor can contribute to nurturing a sense of belonging in the learning environment in a number of ways from the very beginning right up until the end. Establishing the right classroom climate can contribute to how connected students feel to each other. From physical set up and social atmosphere, an instructor's decisions in these regards can affect a learner's motivation. Group work is very important to learners in this stage. Instructors can foster a sense of relatedness among learners by establishing respectful communication and facilitating opportunities for learners to highlight experiences, expectations, and interests that they have in common with peers. =====

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Individuals like to believe they are worthwhile and that society as a whole views them as worthwhile. As instructors of a course, this can be accomplished by generating a sense of inclusion within the program. Ultimately, you need to be positive (yet realistic) about the importance of professionals within your discipline to society as a whole. Many students have an "over-glamorized" view of the role of professionals in their chosen field of study, so it can be important to supply students with real life examples of the types of roles graduates can play in society. This action can clarify the student's potential roles in the field while at the same time give students some positive re-enforcement that they are doing something worthwhile that will be esteemed.=====

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">5. Self Actualization:
Maslow loosely defined self-actualization as "the full use and exploitation of talents, capacities, potentialities, etc." It is the highest need in the hierarchy. Maslow believes that before an individual is able to realize his/her full potential all lower needs of the hierarchy must be sufficiently met. Self-actualization is not a static state, rather is is continual process of developing one's potential that involves using one's talents and intelligence and "working to do well the thing that one wants to do"². It refers to a way of continually living, working, and relating to the world rather than to a single accomplishment. At this stage in the Hierarchy, learners value and benefit from opportunities to express themselves, their ideas, and their experience. Learners at this stage are problem oriented but find the process of coming to a solution at least as important as the solution itself. They also appreciate autonomy and a sense of control. Learners at this stage must be able to take responsibilty for their own learning success.

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<span style="font-size: 70%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to top
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">References
 * 1) <span class="wiki_link_new"><span class="wiki_link_ext">[|A Theory of Human Motivation. Maslow, A., 1943]
 * 2) <span class="wiki_link_ext">//The Farther Reaches of Human Nature//. Maslow, A. New York, 1971

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Resources <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
 * [|Abraham H. Maslow Bibliography] compiled by Maurice Bassett
 * [|Motivation to Learn: An Overview]
 * [|Suggestions for Application of Maslow's Theory to Education]