There is probably a difference between internal goals and external goals.
This is a useful distinction. I only stressed the difference between internal and external motivation, rather than goals.
And yet, the problem with aligning goals is one that you recognized. From what I have seen, students are bombarded with external goals, which are usually measured by an emphasis on grades and test scores. This tedious and rigidly structured experience creates a “treat everything like it’s tedious and therefore unimportant” field. Then when introduced to a new area, even outside of an educational environment, people fail to recognize that it is a topic that they might even enjoy or have a passion for. The ability to develop internal goals is basically extinguished.
This is a useful distinction. I only stressed the difference between internal and external motivation, rather than goals.
And yet, the problem with aligning goals is one that you recognized. From what I have seen, students are bombarded with external goals, which are usually measured by an emphasis on grades and test scores. This tedious and rigidly structured experience creates a “treat everything like it’s tedious and therefore unimportant” field. Then when introduced to a new area, even outside of an educational environment, people fail to recognize that it is a topic that they might even enjoy or have a passion for. The ability to develop internal goals is basically extinguished.