Motivation

Rob Long

• Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781843123651
• eBook ISBN: 9781136609657
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

If teachers can motivate pupils, their job is more than half done! Knowing how to interest and motivate pupils is a skill, which separates the "great" teacheres from the mediocre, This book will inform and inspire staff and give them confidence in dealing with pupils who are not naurally "teacher pleasers". This book examines:

• how personality affects learning styles
• assessment tools and interventions
• how to reach the hard to teach.

1

Introduction

Anyone working with young people has an interest in what motivates them. Why do children think, feel and behave as they do? Motivation is at the heart of teaching learners of all ages and abilities. With a clearer understanding of motivation in school we are better able to understand and support those young people who find learning at best a chore and at worst something to be actively fought against. Yet, while many students are quickly labelled as ‘demotivated’, they can seem incredibly motivated – not to be motivated.

There are many questions that, on the surface, seem baffling and confusing:

• Why will students work hard in one lesson but not in another?

• Why will a reward work one day but not the next?

• Why will students say they understand when they don’t?

• Why won’t students work when they could easily succeed?

One of the problems with understanding motivation is that the finger of blame is nearly always pointed immediately at the student. We have become so used to believing young people to be responsible for their behaviour that we tend to ignore the context they are in. We would all agree, however, that some lessons can be boring and that some tasks can be beyond the ability of a student. We need to look at motivation as something that is influenced by:

• the characteristics of the individual

• the context the individual is in.

The wider our understanding of motivation the more effective our interventions will be. Motivation is not difficult to understand, as this booklet will show. It will provide insight and understanding as well as diagnostic tools and interventions to support those children who, in certain situations, when faced with certain tasks, presented by certain people, lack motivation.

With motivation:

• goals and objectives are more easily achieved

• lessons are enjoyed

• absences are reduced

• teams and individuals function more harmoniously and effectively.

A motivated student is one who arrives on time to lessons, has the correct equipment and seeks appropriate support to ensure success.

Without motivation:

• effort and persistence are reduced

• increased support and supervision become essential

• conflict and disharmony increase

• absenteeism increases.

A lack of motivation can explain why some students make little effort to learn and fail to complete assignments that are within their ability. Such students do not participate in lessons nor do they ask for support when they fail to understand.

Some motivation myths

Myth 1 – students who do not try in school are unmotivated False. Students who fear failure can be highly motivated to protect their self-esteem.

Myth 2 – achievement is greatest when the grades students achieve are awarded on a competitive basis False. Students who have a history of failure will give up quickly as they expect not to succeed.

Myth 3 – the bigger the reward, the harder students will try False. Without an expectation of success rewards fail to motivate.

Personal awareness

Often the best way to make sense of the factors that affect our students is to look within ourselves. As you work through the questions below think of how they might apply to a student you know. (Some possible answers are on p. 6)

Question 1 – think of one thing that you are quite good at In a few words – how did you become good at it?

Question 2 – think of a personal quality that you feel good about In a few words – how do you know you can feel good about it? What evidence do you have?

Question 3 – think of one thing that you are not good at In a few words – what went wrong?

Question 4 – think of something that you did learn successfully, but which at the time you did not want to learn

In a few words – can you explain what kept you at it?

From a very personal and practical point of view we now have a range of key factors affecting motivation that apply not only to us but also to our students.

Successful learning depends on:

• wanting – the more a goal relates to a student’s personal interests and emotional needs the higher will be his/her motivation

• doing – opportunities to practise a new skill or understanding are essential for good learning

• feedback – constructive, positive feedback maintains motivation

• understanding – the more a new skill or understanding is linked into a student’s existing framework the deeper and more meaningful the learning experience will be.

A definition

Some important points seem already to be emerging. One of the key observations, however, is that students’ motivation can vary across situations and from time to time. Our definition needs to reflect the changing nature of motivation.

Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which may fluctuate from one time or situation to another. This state is one that can be influenced.

(Miller and Rollnick, 1991)

Tips for lesson planning

Any lesson can be motivating or demotivating. It is worth detailing those aspects of a lesson that can increase a student’s level of arousal, that is his/her motivation to learn.

Beginning a lesson

• Do students know the lesson objectives?

• Is their curiosity aroused?

• Is the work linked to their personal needs a...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The learning process and personality
• 3 The attribution process
• 4 Assessment tools and interventions
• 5 The hard to reach
• 6 Motivational Equity
• Further reading