Extrinsic Rewards: An Adventist Curriculum Perspective for Classroom Management

Extrinsic rewards refer to gifts used as a form of motivation for students’ to attain an academic goal, or given when that particular goal is reached. Though the use of extrinsic rewards have been proven to have some impact on’ behavior change, such as academic performance, the absence of rewards can cause students’ to revert to the initial unwanted behavior. Consequently, the curricula focus in the Adventist classroom should address the deeper issues that affect behavior and implement the use of strategies and techniques that instill more long-term change rather than emphasize short-term results. This theoretical paper examines the underlying tenets of extrinsic rewards rooted in the Behaviorism; the Adventist perspective of behavior change from a Biblical perspective, and the underlying problem with the use of extrinsic rewards for classroom management in the Adventist classroom. Three simple practical approaches are proposed for behavior change that supports the general goal of Adventist education.