Motivation Makes All the Difference

In 2011 Chevron ran a television ad campaign with the name, “We Agree: Science Is Cool.” The commercial cuts back and forth between an employee talking about what Chevron is doing to improve education and a middle school aged student discussing his robotic claw from a school project. The commercial is clearly aimed at sparking an interest for science in young minds. In a caption to the video they state, “Chevron supports education, especially in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), because preparing students to contribute to the 21st century economy is everyone’s concern” (We Agree). Exxon mobile ran a similar campaign in 2012 that encourages an improvement to science and technology education by showing that the US came in 17th place in a worldwide standardized science test. With big names like Exxon Mobile and Chevron pouring money into our educational system and promoting education as a higher priority in the US, we cannot help but to be grateful for these companies that are putting our nation’s future leaders in their best interest. Although before we get too excited about this push for better education we have to understand what is going on behind the scenes, peering through the binary perspective we have all become so accustomed to. These companies are not at all lacking a qualified job force, but instead there is a surplus of labor. Skilled mathematicians and scientists these companies need are already out there. What they are actually concerned about is the price of this labor and profit margins they are capable of attaining instead of having the best interest of the up-and-coming workers in mind. The problem is that as these big name companies push for more qualified workers in science and math, children are influenced toward unnatural career paths. In order to mitigate this growing problem, students should instead be presented with a more well-rounded education that provides a foundation for any career path they choose creating an overall reorganization of the work force. Businesses are well aware that operating around a surplus of labor, results in low wages for qualified and well-preforming employees, in turn maximizing profits. While many qualified STEM workers sit confused and jobless, it is clear that the push for such a labor force was never necessary. When a certain field of work is pushed upon an individual they are not able to reach their highest potential due to lack of both intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy leading to an average worker who will be hard pressed to find a job. A free and unbiased presentation of all subjects in primary, k-12, education that allow students to make their own career choices will lead to the highest level of efficiency in the job market.
One common characteristic of a successful person, whether it is a CEO, professional athlete, musician, or government official, is a passion for what they excelled in. Bill Gates never would have accomplished so much by sticking to the beaten path and staying in college like his parents wanted him too. When children are pushed into a certain career field because of parental or some other type of persuasion, the child lacks that kind of passion and motivation they would have had for a career of their choice. By dissecting a person’s motivations down into two categories, intrinsic and extrinsic, it is easy to see the importance of choice. When a person carries intrinsic motivation, they are naturally interested in the subject and would prefer to go into that field no matter what the extrinsic motivations may be. Extrinsic motivations in this situation can include salary, job outlook, parental approval, and social norms. When a person is able to find work that they are intrinsically motivated to do, they will receive enjoyment and want to work harder and more persistently toward their goals. A person who fails to have this intrinsic motivation will end up as a second-rate