Motivation is a complex thing. Research shows that if you offer people a tangible incentive for doing a low-level, mechanical task you might get better performance. But try rewarding (or maybe bribing) people for any task that requires them to think and the results are worse. People do better when they believe in what they are doing, not when working for rewards.
What motivates children to learn? If it is their curiosity, their need to master new skills and their drive to do things for themselves, then this intrinsic motivation supports them to be strong learners. On the other hand, if they perform only for a sticker, a smiley face or the approval of others they are likely to become limited learners who avoid challenge - and become less motivated when there is no reward.
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