It is a known fact that the performance of students’ in examinations is not encouraging these days. This is evident as the number of students passing their final exams keeps falling year after year. So, what then is responsible for these failures? A document retrieved from www.wiki.answeres.com suggests that it is because of distraction and stress or maybe drugs. It was also stated there that the number one cause is (lack of) seriousness. Some students lack concentration in class. Also, poor performance of students could also be attributed to student absenteeism from class and failure to do assignments given by the teacher.
Ways of motivating students to learn harder to improve upon their performance.
Elliot et al, ( as cited in Owusu-Banahene 2008), defined motivation as an internal state that arouses as to action, pushes as in a particular direction and keeps us engaging in certain activities. Learners should be motivated to participate in class through the use of rewards and instituting a system to award marks for class participation. A secured classroom environment devoid of threats of punishment, embarrassment and criticism were major tools teachers can do to facilitate class participation ( Boafowaa 2008). Students’ performance can be improved through encouragement from teachers, parents and colleagues.
According to Darkwah (2008), a conducive home environment with good training and relevant learning resources helps to develop student positive attitude towards learning in school and at home. Parents can also motivate their wards by asking them what they score in Cost Accounting. Also, teachers can also give carrier orientation, challenging tasks, awards for improved performance (Boadi, 2008) to encourage learners to perform better.
A document retrieved from www.teachermatters.com states that the motivating role of teachers is primarily concerned with energising behaviour by tapping internal forces which will initiate and sustain the work of students. The motivating role of teachers encompasses attempts to create conditions within a classroom which will energise, direct and sustain students' performance. This role is important for promoting morale and climate, and involves the sustaining of enthusiasm and positive attitudes towards school goals and learning tasks, both those assigned and those self-generated by the students. In the classroom motivation is observed as students show interest and enthusiasm, give attention and concentration to classroom tasks. Lack of motivation results in student apathy and misbehaviour.
Types of Motivation
There are two broad types of motivation - intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation
This is a response to needs within the student, such as curiosity, the need to know, or feelings of competence and growth. Internal satisfaction a student feels about a particular task is another aspect of intrinsic motivation. For example, some students might find activities involving such as discussions to be intrinsically satisfying.
Extrinsic motivation
This is motivation from outside the learner and has to do with external rewards for completion of a task. Words of praise from the teacher, a higher grade, or a privilege are examples. The reinforcement of extrinsic motivation can be effective; but be aware that excessive use of rewards may be decreasingly successful in new situations, foster dependence on the teacher, and undermine intrinsic motivation.
Use of group study method to improve students’ performance in Cost Accounting
A group is any two or more humans who interact with one another, accept expectations and obligations adopted by members of the group and share a common identity. Slavin ( as cited in Amoako F. 2009) defined small group exercise as an instructional method in which students of all performance levels work together in small groups towards a common goal. Groups are formed in the class room for assignment and discussion purposes.
Discussions enhance oral communication and speech skills as well as idea generation. According to Mezieobi ( as cited in Boateng 2008), discussion is a consensus learning strategy in which learners put their knowledge and ideas together in an interdependent and team session, brainstorming on an issue or problem and consequently arriving at a conclusion.
It will be necessary to divide the class into groups ( Coombs, 1995). They should be seated in the same area to allow the teacher easy access. In group seminars, students are put into groups and each group researches a different topic and makes presentation to the class. The research could be extensive in both time and scope or a simple ten minute group discussion. The presentation usually involves one member of the group or indeed all of them explaining the group’s conclusion to the class (Muniru, 2009).
Types of groups
According to Davis, ( as cited in Agbove, 2009), there are three major types of group work namely; informal learning groups, formal learning groups and study teams.
Informal learning groups can be initiated by asking students to turn to a neighbour and spend two minutes discussing a question you have posed. You can also form groups of three or five to solve a problem or to pose a question. You can form informal groups at any time in class of any size to check on students understanding of the material to give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning or to provide a change of pace. Formal learning groups are established to complete a specific task such as perform a lab experiment, write a report or carry out a project. Study teams are long term groups with stable membership whose responsibility is to provide members with support, encouragement and assistance in completing course requirements and assignments.
Importance of groups
There are benefits from instruction in groups such as social and attitudinal benefits (Knaper, 1980). Students learn great deal from each other and correct mistakes of each other. According to Johnson ( as cited in Amoako F. 2009), working in small groups of two or more individuals promotes the use of higher level critical thinking skills. It increases students’ motivation and positive attitude towards a particular subject, enhance communication skills and leads to greater student achievement. Also, group work provides opportunities for developing generic skills such as; team work, negotiation, organisation, delegation, co-operation and leadership.
Group work enables participation of all students since it is much easier for a student to develop the necessary confidence in a comparatively private situation than in the public gaze of the full class. The groups provide much more intense opportunities for practice than any full class situation can. According to Beckman ( as cited in Boadi, 2008), regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and tend to retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats.
To end, students who work in collaborative groups also appear more satisfied with their performance.