A dissociation between engagement and learning: Enthusiastic instructions fail to reliably improve performance on a
Benjamin A Motz1,2, Joshua R de Leeuw3, Paulo F Carvalho4
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 22, 2017
Summary
Enthusiastic teaching may boost student motivation but does not reliably improve memory recall. Spaced learning techniques, however, significantly enhance test performance in educational psychology research.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The impact of teacher enthusiasm on student learning and memory is widely debated but lacks consistent empirical support.
- Existing research presents mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of enthusiasm in educational settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically investigate whether enthusiastic instructions enhance memory recall accuracy.
- To examine the effects of enthusiasm and spaced learning on cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- A controlled laboratory experiment using scripted videos to deliver either enthusiastic or neutral instructions for a memory task.
- Manipulation of learning item sequence to incorporate the spacing effect, a known memory enhancement technique.
- Two experiments were conducted to ensure reliability of findings.
Main Results:
- Spaced study significantly improved test performance, confirming the efficacy of this cognitive technique.
- Enthusiastic instructions did not reliably improve memory recall accuracy across both experiments.
- Enthusiastic instructions led to increased engagement, evidenced by participants attempting more prompts.
Conclusions:
- The study found no direct evidence that enthusiastic instruction improves learning or memory recall.
- Enthusiasm may enhance task motivation and engagement, creating a dissociation between motivation and actual learning.
- Findings suggest a need for further research into the nuanced relationship between teacher affect, student engagement, and learning outcomes.
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