Motivating the Unmotivated

Brenda Hill
Feb 14, 2011

What's the significance of motivation and how does it impact student achievement?

Motivation has long been a topic of professional conversation as teachers and administrators strive to increase student performance and achievement within classrooms, schools, and across districts. Webster’s dictionary defines motivation as:  “the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something; a force or influence that causes someone to do something.”  Others define motivation as “to give reason, incentive, enthusiasm, or interest that causes a specific action or certain behavior.”  The terms intrinsic and extrinsic refer to the two main types of motivation. Intrinsic motivators are internal and the result of someone doing something out of desire, importance, or pleasure. Extrinsic motivators depend upon external factors which require someone to do something. Motivation influences everything we do. In classrooms, student motivation is often the extenuating factor that determines engagement, performance, and achievement. Since motivation plays a major role in student achievement and mastery of learning targets, then, as an educator you must explore classroom motivational factors that will positively influence learning outcomes. (Wendy Pan, Article)

A key factor influencing student motivation is enthusiasm. James H. Stronge in his book, Qualities of Effective Teachers, addresses the relationship between teacher enthusiasm on student motivation and learning. He presents the following conclusions:

  • “There is a direct correlation between high level of teacher motivation and high levels of student achievement.

  • Teacher’s enthusiasm for learning and the subject matter are important factors in student motivation and achievement.

  • Student learning is enhanced when caring teachers get to know and build relationships with students.

  • Teachers who take the time to create safe, supportive, and caring classrooms tend to be more effective with students.”

Attitude and enthusiasm greatly influence levels of student motivation and achievement.  Other classroom factors - climate, management and organization – also directly impact student motivation and learning outcomes.  Since students continually encounter distractions and are constantly bombarded with alternatives competing for their attention, it is important to develop and sustain motivation through challenging on-grade level tasks. These tasks provide opportunities for student involvement and active engagement. Differentiating assignments, scaffolding tasks, and implementing extending thinking activities/tasks offer additional opportunities for students to stay focused and engaged in the learning.

While enthusiasm and classroom climate emerge as factors impacting student motivation, there are also some ideas and/or techniques you may use to motivate the unmotivated in your classroom. Robert Harris in the article, “Some Ideas for Motivating Students” (Oct, 2010), presents several ideas for increasing student motivation for the required learning tasks. His suggestions include:

Explain.  Students often fail to participate in class or they perform poorly on assignments because there is a lack of understanding about the “what” or “why” of learning goals and outcomes. Spend time explaining the importance of what you are doing and why it is important. Students who are uncertain about assignments or tasks often perform poorly.  

Reward.  Students lacking intrinsic motivation can be helped to learn by providing extrinsic motivators. Behavior that is rewarded is repeated and continued for both adults and children. Extrinsic rewards may produce intrinsic motivation. The feelings associated with accomplishment and recognition result in increased effort and competency. 

Care.  Appear to be “real” and sincerely show concern for your students will positively impact their motivation and interest. 

Have students participate.  A major key in motivating a student is active involvement and engagement in his or her learning. Learning targets and goals are more easily accomplished when students are physically and actively engaged in the lesson. 

Teach inductively.  Inductive teaching methods come in many forms and include:  discovery learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning and problem-based learning. Inductive teaching provides students with examples at the beginning of the lesson and requires them to use the examples to reach a conclusion or generalization.  By presenting examples, evidence, stories, etc at the beginning of a lesson student interest is maintained and motivation increased. (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169164826.html )

Satisfy students’ needs.  Choice is a motivating factor for both students and adults.  Provide choices for assignments and tasks that meet the needs and learning style of individual students.  Differentiated assignments and tasks keep students more committed to completing the learning task and understanding its value.

Make learning visual.  There is a strong correlation between memory and visual images. One of the top five strategies for increasing student achievement is nonverbal representations. Diagrams, illustrations, charts, graphs, pictures, objects, etc. are examples of visual images that may be used to convey content meaning. Graphic organizers are also great visual tools (or nonverbal representations) for helping students “see” relationships between learning concepts, as well as providing a mental framework for retaining newly acquired knowledge. 

Use positive emotions to enhance learning and motivation.  Strong and lasting learning connects memory to emotions.  If learning is made fun, exciting, happy, or perhaps, even somewhat frightening, students will more readily learn and the learning will last longer.  The day you show up in class in a costume or speak in an “alien voice” about life on planet Earth is a day and lesson students will remember.

Energy sells.  Energetic teaching approaches and presentations are motivating to students. Adding energy to the facts, skills, concepts, and topics you wish to convey will enhance student performance and learning. (Harris, “Some Ideas for Motivating Students”, Oct, 2010)

You are constantly faced with the challenges of increasing academic performance and achievement for each and every student. Student motivation and active engagement in the learning process are fundamental keys for meeting the educational challenges in today’s era of accountability. The importance of motivating the unmotivated is best reflected in this quote from John Quincy Adams’ quotes - “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”  I would add, then, you are a truly great teacher. 

References:

Sources:

- Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Harvard University Press, 2004, pages 32-42.

-Linda Nilson, Teaching At Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors, 2nd edition, Anker Publishing, 2003, pages 41-44.

- Matt DeLong and Dale Winter, Learning to Teaching and Teaching to Learn Mathematics: Resources for Professional Development, Mathematical Association of America, 2002, pages 159-168.