Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Technology Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the elements motivating comprehensive school students to study technology. The research was carried out as a qualitative case study and the material was collected through individual theme interviews. Each test participant represented a different case of motivation towards technology education. In choosing individuals for the study the main criteria were gender, negative or positive motivation and competence in the field of technology. This study found that the artifact to be made in school and the student’s freedom of choice had significant effect on motivation in all test participants. Instead, curiosity and intellectual challenge seemed to be the main elements among technological talents. Although, we must be careful with final conclusions as the research group was relatively small, we can conclude that there were more signs of intrinsic motivation among students with high technological competence whereas extrinsic motivation was emphasized in the other students.