Motivation is integral to deep-level learning and student achievement. But finding ways to motivate and engage all students in the classroom can be challenging. And as classrooms become increasingly diverse both culturally and economically, teachers need to continually adapt and innovate their teaching methods to accommodate, support and celebrate a wide array of learning styles and interests. For these reasons, graduate study programs such as Lamar University’s online Master of Education in Teacher Leadership emphasize ways to motivate and engage students, based in theory and applied through the practice of well-researched methods.
What Is the Cycle of Engagement?
Motivated students engage in their learning, developing competence and confidence in their abilities. The tangible results that students then experience serve to further motivate and engage them. Consequently, teachers who work hard to support and increase every student’s level of motivation can reach the overall goal of student achievement and continued learning.
What Is the Value of Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Motivation?
Many educators believe that a problem with traditional education is the focus on extrinsic motivation, in which students are praised and rewarded when they meet external standards and punished when they do not. Therefore, their motivation and engagement are extrinsic (based on what is expected of them) instead of intrinsic (driven by an innate desire to achieve). When students are intrinsically motivated, they want to learn for learning’s sake, which leads to deeper engagement and continued self-directed learning, leading — from a teacher’s perspective — to improved levels of student learning and achievement.
What Models of Education Lead to Student Motivation?
Many well-developed theories surround the fostering of intrinsic motivation in educational environments, generally focusing on challenging and engaging students at their level of skill and interest. Educational theorist and practitioner John Dewey is lauded as the father of “experiential education,” a model wherein students engage in their studies through practical application. He posited that this approach led to deeper learning through tangible motivations instead of abstract standards.
In addition, rehearsing learning and understanding through practice helps reinforce and cement that learning. Progressive, alternative and even traditionalist schools have been incorporating experiential education as motivation for students to apply knowledge and learn even better.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, proposed a model of developing motivation and engagement through what he calls the “flow” experience, which involves matching an individual’s skill with the appropriate external challenge and expectation. If a student’s skill level far exceeds the challenge of their activity, they will be bored and unengaged. If they do not have the necessary skills to meet the challenge, their falling behind can create anxiety and a lower sense of self-worth, which can lead to a negative reinforcement cycle with potential for long-term damage to the student’s capacity to learn.
Differentiation and Student-Led Inquiry
Ideally, the concept of flow is actualized in setting activities and expectations appropriate to each student’s abilities and interests. This creates an environment of optimal engagement and self-motivation. This concept is also in line with the practice of differentiation in instructional methods and techniques. The essence of differentiation is simple: Every student learns and is engaged in different ways — whether auditory, visual, tactile or social — and is best taught and encouraged to learn accordingly. A group project engages social learners. Videos or charts might help visual learners. Mixing up teaching techniques to include diverse sensory and instructional methods can help students of every ability and learning style engage in their learning, in turn increasing their motivation to learn.
Student-led inquiry and culturally responsive teaching also have implications for improving student motivation. The concept is simple: People are motivated by what interests and engages them. In addition, students learn best through the context of their cultural and socioeconomic background. Education has traditionally been based around the history, language and learning styles of the dominant culture and class. Clearly, this model sets up outsiders to have more difficulty in the school setting. Giving students guided choice in content as well as celebrating their diverse backgrounds, languages and interests can help promote the cycle of engagement and the ideal state of student-led inquiry and self-motivation.
Teachers willing to take risks and experiment with different instructional styles can have a far greater impact on student learning than those with a one-size-fits-all approach. For those looking to lead the teachers of the future, understanding how to effectively motivate students is essential.
Learn more about the Lamar University online M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership program.
Sources:
ASCD: Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy
Edutopia: Strategies for Helping Students Motivate Themselves
TeachHub: How to Motivate Students — Top 12 Ways
ASCD: A Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching
Edutopia: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — Motivating People to Learn
