Motivating Students

Denise Burson
Feb 14, 2011

How can I motivate my students?

There are many factors that affect a student's motivation to learn (Bligh, 1971; Sass, 1989): interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as patience and persistence. You have a lot to do with your students' motivational level. Your behavior and teaching style, the structure of the course, the nature of the assignments and informal interactions with students all have a large effect on student motivation. (Source: Barbara Gross Davis, 1999)

The good news is that there is much you can do to motivate your students. Here are a few strategies to try:

  • Hold all students to a high standard. Maintaining high standards not only will motivate student learning, it will also be the source of student feelings of accomplishment when those standards are met. Research has shown that your expectations have a powerful effect on a student's performance. If you act as though you expect your students to be motivated, hardworking, and interested in the course, they are more likely to be so.
  • Set realistic expectations. When you make assignments or tasks be realistic. "Realistic" in this context means that your standards are high enough to motivate students to do their best work but not so high that students will be frustrated in trying to meet those expectations. To develop the drive to achieve, students need to believe that achievement is possible -which means that you need to provide opportunities for success. (Sources: American Psychological Association, 1992; Bligh, 1971; Forsyth and McMillan, 1991 -1 Lowman, 1984)
  • Be enthusiastic about your subject. Enthusiasm is a crucial factor in student motivation. If you are apathetic, students will be too. Remember, attitudes are contagious.
  • Give students feedback as quickly as possible. Return tests and papers promptly, and reward success publicly and immediately. Give students some indication of how well they have done and how to improve. Rewards can be as simple as saying a student's response was good, with an indication of why it was good. (Source: Cashin, 1979)
  • Establish a sense of belonging. All of us have a basic need to feel connected or related to other people. In an academic environment, research shows that students who feel they 'belong' have a higher degree of intrinsic motivation and academic confidence. According to students, their sense of belonging is fostered by you demonstrating warmth and openness, encouraging student participation, enthusiasm, being friendly and helpful, and organized. (Source: Cashin, 1979)

When you look at all the contributions to motivating and building relationships, become aware that what happens to students in school is shaped not only by the engagement opportunities provided in the curriculum, but in the special teacher/student relationship.