The Effects of Monetary and Grade Points Rewards on Student Motivation in Collaborative Learning: An Experimental Analysis

Abstract

Motivation is a critical component of educational outcomes; however, the effectiveness of various reward systems in promoting motivation remains under debate. This study investigated whether monetary or grade-point rewards are more effective in enhancing student motivation within a collaborative learning context. A true experimental design, utilizing a between-subject group, was employed with 40 undergraduate students randomly assigned to either a monetary reward group or a grade points reward group. Participants engaged in an "act-it-out" game, and their motivation levels were measured using validated questionnaires assessing engagement, perceived value, effort, intrinsic interest, and collaboration. Results showed that participants in the grade points reward condition reported significantly higher motivation scores (M = 4.51, SD = 0.340) than those in the monetary reward condition (M = 3.78, SD = 0.661). An independent-sample t-test confirmed a significant difference (U (38.0) = 54.0, p = <.001, rrb = 0.730). The findings indicate that cultural factors, particularly the collectivist emphasis on academic achievement in the Philippines, shape preferences for grade-based rewards, which align with long-term academic goals, over monetary rewards. Future studies should explore non-monetary incentives in diverse cultural and institutional contexts and address limitations by implementing controls for extraneous and confounding variables.