Motivating Students with Different Cognitive Abilities

Abstract

Individual motivational factors depend on the intellectual potential. The research objective was to identify the characteristics of motivating students with different levels of intellectual abilities based on the motivational and intellectual spheres of their personality. The study was conducted at the Siberian Polytechnic College and Algorithmics Programming School, Kemerovo. It involved 85 students aged 15–19 y.o. R. Amthauer’s Intelligence Structure Test made it possible to determine their dominant motivations and psychometric intelligence indicators. The data were processed in line with the Fisher’s multifunctional φ-angular criterion. Students who stated self-development and professional achievements as their dominant motivations differed in cognitive abilities. The analysis can be of practical importance for teachers and psychologists. It provides a better understanding of how motivational factors can affect academic process and may help to customize approaches to teaching based on a more effective interaction between teachers and students.