There is much agreement among researchers that
intrinsic motivation is a valuable means of
motivating students. Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett
(1973) noted that intrinsically motivated students
find activities interesting and enjoyable for their
own sake, rather than as a means to an end.
According to Ames & Archer (1988), intrinsically
motivated students demonstrate behaviors such as
strategy use, effort, and persistence. In addition,
these students show preference for challenging,
difficult, and novel tasks.
However, Alderman (2004) notes that many
tasks students are required to complete in school
are not intrinsically motivating. Therefore,
teachers also rely on extrinsic motivator