In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer is joined by Dr. Ozgur Bolat, associate professor of educational science and author of The Reward Trap: Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids. Dr. Bolat shares his journey from seeking external validation to decoding the science of intrinsic motivation, offering practical strategies for parents and educators looking to move away from quick-fix rewards and build lasting resilience and internal drive in children.
Key topics discussed include:
🧠 The Pitfalls of External Validation: How relying on rewards, praise, and criticism creates an external locus of control and undermines intrinsic motivation.
🕊️ The PEACE Model: A framework (Perspective, Emotion & Cognition, Need, Commitment, Engagement) to address behavior and resistance without relying on bribes or threats.
📱 Modern Parenting & Mental Health: How overprotective parenting and digital distractions prevent kids from learning how to handle hardship and negative emotions.
🤖 Assessment in the Age of AI: Why generative AI exposes the limits of memorization-based testing and forces a shift toward assessing critical thinking, original reasoning, and conceptual understanding.
👨🏫 Evolving the Role of the Educator: Shifting teachers away from being mere “information transmitters” and into roles as mentors, coaches, and learning architects.
🤝 Parent and Teacher Dynamics: Research-backed insights on why warm, respectful relationships far outperform control mechanisms, anxiety, and high-pressure tactics.
About the Guest: Dr. Ozgur Bolat is an associate professor in educational science, Fulbright scholar, Harvard Graduate School of Education graduate, Cambridge PhD, and former MIT Sloan researcher. He is the founder of parenting and teacher training initiatives dedicated to raising internally validated children. His book, The Reward Trap, features a foreword by Nobel Laureate Professor Aziz Sancar.
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