Rethinking Reward Charts: What Teachers Should Know About Motivation

Reward systems, such as sticker charts, are a popular behaviour management strategy in many classrooms. The approach is based on the work of behaviourists in the 1930s-1950s who used external rewards to train animals. However, while the techniques might be useful for training your beloved pet, they are known to have some significant down-sides when applied to children.

At first glance, external rewards might appear highly effective. Many of us remember watching how parenting Gurus, such as Gina Ford or the Supernanny, would use the techniques to seemingly turn a house from chaos to calm in a matter of days. However, while these fast results might seem impressive (and make for good TV), a different story emerges once the cameras stop rolling.

Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that external rewards tend to ‘decrease’ desirable behaviour over time. This is because introducing extrinsic rewards tends to interfere with intrinsic motivation - a necessary ingredient for us to persist with something over time. When a given behaviour becomes contingent on receiving a reward, children quickly learn that their actions are only valuable when there is something to gain. Once the reward is removed, the desired behaviour often fades along with it.

It is also true that reward charts tend to foster superficial compliance rather than genuine engagement, meaning they do nothing to encourage things like good judgement, moral reasoning, or the desire to do something for its own sake. So rather than promoting a desire to do the right thing because it’s the right things to do, children learn to do the right thing simply for the promise of a reward. This can lead to a kind of bargaining attitude (e.g., “if I do what you want me to do, then what will you give me”). This is unfortunate and can lead to further problems as children grow older and can no longer be tempted with simple things like stars and stickers.

It is also important to consider that rewards do nothing to help children learn better skills. Put simply, not getting a sticker does nothing to help a child to learn the skills needed to get a sticker in the future. Indeed, the children who tend to collect the most stickers in a given class are those who were already inclined to behave well to begin with. On that basis, the introduction of rewards in the classroom is not helpful; it simply distinguishes between the children who do get stickers and those who don’t get stickers. This distinction can clearly impact a child’s developing self-esteem and lead to feelings of inadequacy when they struggle to earn rewards.

Despite the above, sticker charts remain commonplace in many classrooms, and still feature strongly in many tertiary training programs. However, it is crucial that we reconsider our approach. Instead of relying on stickers and rewards, we should aim to cultivate an atmosphere that teaches interpersonal skills, builds quality relationships, and encourages a sense of responsibility. Ultimately, moving away from reward charts and focusing on building a culture of intrinsic motivation will benefit children far more in the long run.