A High School Principal Uses Principles of Expectancy Theory to Motivate Students
Tim Richard, principal at Westwood High School, decided to use a motivational program he called "Celebration" to improve the grades of 1,200 students who were failing one or more courses. The school has a total of 3,000 students.
How Does the Program Work? "Students are allowed to go outside and have fun with their friends for 28 minutes on four mornings a week," the principal explained to the local newspaper. "But those who have even one F must stay inside for 'remediation'—28 minutes of extra study, help from peer tut0rs, or meetings with teachers." Richard, who successfully implemented the program at a smaller high school, believes the key to motivating students is to link a highly valued reward—socializing with friends outside—with grades. Socializing includes playing organized games, dancing and listening to music, eating snacks, and just plain hanging out. Results suggest the program is working.
Positive results were found within two to three months of the motivation program's start. The number of students with failing grades dropped to 900. The principal's goal is to achieve zero failing grades by the end of the year.
What Is the Student Reaction? Students like the program. Ivana Baltazar, a 17-year-old senior, said, "You really appreciate Celebration after you have been in remediation." She raised an F in economics to a B after receiving help. Good academic students like Joseph Leung also like the program. Leung is a tut0r to students with failing grades. He believes that "the tricky part is getting people out of the mind-set that they can't succeed.... A lot of times they just haven't done their homework. I try to help them understand that the difference between a person passing and failing is their work ethic."
Which of these students at Westwood High School does equity theory predict will view his/her situation favorably, as in perceiving equity or positive inequity rather than negative inequity?
a. Jessica studied all day and night for 72 hours until she was exhausted but still failed an exam.
b. Jared thinks his teacher hates him and will give him bad grades no matter how good an effort he puts in.
c. Joey was assigned "remediation" after failing two class, but his brother somehow avoided it despite failing two classes.
d. Jill had a report card with no failing grades and was allowed to participate in "Celebration" but during a period where the temperature was over 110 degrees every day in Arizona. Her friend Josie also had a report card without failing grades and participated in "Celebration" in February when the temperature average was a much nicer 75 degrees.
e. Jamie puts in the same moderate amount of work in a class that her best friend did the previous semester and gets the same grade she did.
