english (should highschools pay students for their academic performance)

claim

High schools should avoid paying students for academic performance because it could cause a transactional mindset, replacing learning with reward seeking and short term motivation rather than academic growth.

evidence 1 (decision lab)

According to the “Why do we lose interest after we are rewarded for it?” article by the Decision Lab, psychologist Deci and Ryan state that because of the overjustification effect…

reasoning 1 (decision lab)

In other words, this statement clearly defines the concept of the overjustification effect, which weakens intrinsic motivation. Once students begin working for money, their approach to learning becomes more transactional, which encourages them to avoid genuine engagement. As a result, students focus more on earning money than on learning, viewing school as a job rather than an opportunity to grow.

counterargument

Some may argue that payment rewards can boost motivation in this way. However, research shows that it fails to create long lasting growth and long term motivation.

evidence 2 (the education week)

The collected data from “The Education Week” by Dakarai I. Aarons explains how a multicity experiment found that…

reasoning 2

This indicates that financial rewards fail to build the internal skills and curiosity a student needs. This shows that while rewards may excite students, they do not develop the skills, curiosity, or habits needed for long-term academic growth.

conclusion/ending

Overall, paying students for academic performance shifts focus away from learning and fails to support long-term academic growth.