IV. 4. Tasks and exercises

1. What does motivation mean?

Sample answer:

Motivation is a term in psychology. It goes back to the Latin verb movere, which means to move. In pedagogical practice it is a collective word, because it comprises motives, internal and external factors which urge action. Cognitive pedagogy interprets it as a self-modifying, self-developing hierarchical components system, the components of which use their specific organization and motives - in mutual relationship with the external and internal environment - in order to operate, modify and develop their own system.

2. What is the difference between skills and competences?

Sample answer:

Skills are the abilities one possesses which enable the person to carry out a task, or do an activity.

Competence is a more complex term and it comprises several subsystems of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Competence is a term of Latin origin which, in its dictionary meaning ( Magyar Értelmező Kéziszótár, 2003) denotes adequacy, capacity, proficiency. It develops parallelly with a person’s social and problem solving skills. By representatives of cognitive pedagogy it is a psychological components system, in which the uppermost level is one’s personality and the lower psychological levels are as follows: system of motives, knowledge system, and other inherited or learnt components. The previously described components systems are related to one another. In this sense a components system can be considered competences if it is characterized by the unity of a system of motives and knowledge system and, in addition, it has both inherited and learnt components.