The J-Factor
Description:
Using the J-Factor is the act of finding joy while learning. Teachers should find opportunities to implement the J-Factor into their lessons in order to bring excitement to class work and increase students’ work ethic. There are five categories of activities that can be used for the J-Factor:
1. Fun and games: This includes activities such as review games and competitions associated with class material.
2. Us (and them): In order for kids to feel like they belong, which is an important need, establish certain traditions in the classroom, such as code words, songs, and nicknames. The more difficult the established traditions are to be recognized by people outside of the class, the more the students feel like they belong.
3. Drama, song, and dance: By using music, drama, and movement, the level of excitement within the class is raised, and it can contribute to the Us (and them) component. Also, these activities are great tools for memorization.
4. Humor: Bringing laughter to the classroom easily increases the level of happiness and satisfaction among the students. Teachers can bring laughter in many ways, and it can be as simple as joking around with the students.
5. Suspense and surprise: By breaking the daily class routine, students are more engaged in the class, because they are more interested and excited about what’s happening.
Why does it work?
The J-Factor is an effective technique to use with students, because it aligns with the Expectancy X Value Theory of motivation. This theory states that students must both expect to achieve the task at hand and value the tasks in order to be motivated to achieve.
The J-Factor aligns with the value portion of this theory by increasing the interest that students have in the material. By bring joy and excitement to the class during lessons, teachers increase student interest in the material, which causes them to care more about what they’re learning.
The theory also states that through the relational value of a task, which is whether or not one’s work is rewarding to others, increases how much students value tasks at hand. The category of fun and games, which includes competition between groups, creates tasks where what the students do affect others. This contributes to the relational value of tasks.
A third component of the J-Factor that increases the value of tasks is the Us (and them) category, which satisfies the need students have of feeling like they belong. This contributes to the prior need status of students, which states that students’ basic needs must be met before they engage in higher-level thinking, or consider valuing the tasks they are presented.
Example:
For my middle school math class, I can use the J-Factor when reviewing for tests. Out of the Fun and Games category, I can use the following game to review problems.
1. Break the class up into groups of 4, and assign each group a number, 1 to the number of groups, preferably in order of where the groups are.
2. Write a problem on a board that all groups must solve (make sure each student shows work for each problem on their own paper). Each time a problem is presented, it will be a group’s turn to answer. If that group gets it wrong, the next group has a chance to say the right answer, going down the line.
3. When a group gets the answer right, they earn 5 points. One member will have a chance to shoot a tennis ball into a trashcan, choosing between three different point-lines to shoot from. If the student makes the shot, that team earns however many bonus points the shot was worth.
4. Make sure the game cycles through all the teams an even number of times, and add up the points to declare the winner!
Using the J-Factor is the act of finding joy while learning. Teachers should find opportunities to implement the J-Factor into their lessons in order to bring excitement to class work and increase students’ work ethic. There are five categories of activities that can be used for the J-Factor:
1. Fun and games: This includes activities such as review games and competitions associated with class material.
2. Us (and them): In order for kids to feel like they belong, which is an important need, establish certain traditions in the classroom, such as code words, songs, and nicknames. The more difficult the established traditions are to be recognized by people outside of the class, the more the students feel like they belong.
3. Drama, song, and dance: By using music, drama, and movement, the level of excitement within the class is raised, and it can contribute to the Us (and them) component. Also, these activities are great tools for memorization.
4. Humor: Bringing laughter to the classroom easily increases the level of happiness and satisfaction among the students. Teachers can bring laughter in many ways, and it can be as simple as joking around with the students.
5. Suspense and surprise: By breaking the daily class routine, students are more engaged in the class, because they are more interested and excited about what’s happening.
Why does it work?
The J-Factor is an effective technique to use with students, because it aligns with the Expectancy X Value Theory of motivation. This theory states that students must both expect to achieve the task at hand and value the tasks in order to be motivated to achieve.
The J-Factor aligns with the value portion of this theory by increasing the interest that students have in the material. By bring joy and excitement to the class during lessons, teachers increase student interest in the material, which causes them to care more about what they’re learning.
The theory also states that through the relational value of a task, which is whether or not one’s work is rewarding to others, increases how much students value tasks at hand. The category of fun and games, which includes competition between groups, creates tasks where what the students do affect others. This contributes to the relational value of tasks.
A third component of the J-Factor that increases the value of tasks is the Us (and them) category, which satisfies the need students have of feeling like they belong. This contributes to the prior need status of students, which states that students’ basic needs must be met before they engage in higher-level thinking, or consider valuing the tasks they are presented.
Example:
For my middle school math class, I can use the J-Factor when reviewing for tests. Out of the Fun and Games category, I can use the following game to review problems.
1. Break the class up into groups of 4, and assign each group a number, 1 to the number of groups, preferably in order of where the groups are.
2. Write a problem on a board that all groups must solve (make sure each student shows work for each problem on their own paper). Each time a problem is presented, it will be a group’s turn to answer. If that group gets it wrong, the next group has a chance to say the right answer, going down the line.
3. When a group gets the answer right, they earn 5 points. One member will have a chance to shoot a tennis ball into a trashcan, choosing between three different point-lines to shoot from. If the student makes the shot, that team earns however many bonus points the shot was worth.
4. Make sure the game cycles through all the teams an even number of times, and add up the points to declare the winner!