Cognitive theories of motivation offer valuable schemas for understanding
and, in some cases, changing the interaction patterns of teachers
and students. Teachers can examine their own beliefs about students and
why students succeed or fail at the tasks that the teacher assigns. Based
upon these analyses, teachers can make changes, if necessary, in the tasks
they assign, the learning environments they create, and their verbal interac-tions with their students. Teachers can work together to develop school
communities that will encourage students to expend effort on schoolwork
and to value achievement. Teachers can talk with students about the important
role that effort plays in school success, and they can encourage students
to evaluate their success and failures in relationship to the amount of effort
they expended. Finally, teachers can encourage students to develop learning
rather than performance goals and to expend effort to attain their goals.