Motivation and engagement

Like the national economy, human motivation is a topic that people know is important, continuously discuss, and would like to predict. We want to know why people do what they do. But just as tomorrow鈥檚 inflationary trend seems beyond our influence and understanding, so too do the causes of human behaviour evade any simple explanation or prescription.

Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 2017

Motivation is complex聽with many different theories informing various aspects of it. In a learning situation, motivation can be impacted by any number of things, including:

  • Needs
  • Interests
  • Values
  • Attitudes
  • Incentives
  • Fears

Needs: Maslow鈥檚 hierarchy of needs聽offers one theory of motivation. Maslow proposes that in order to strive for聽higher level needs聽(i.e. esteem and cognitive),聽lower level needs聽(physical, safety) must be met. Learners who are physically uncomfortable or who feel unsafe (threatened) are not likely to be able to focus on learning.

贵别补谤蝉:听Many fears affect motivation, including聽fears of failure, rejection, reactions from others, success, pain,聽etc. Fear is a very difficult psychological phenomenon, so as teachers our goal is to create a learning environment that is as聽safe, positive, inclusive, and success oriented聽as possible

Consider reflecting upon how you can enhance motivation and engagement:

  1. What might be affecting your students鈥 motivation?
  2. How could various aspects of your instruction enhance motivation 鈥 learning outcomes, course topics, teaching strategies, classroom environment, assessment methods?

Ideas to enhance motivation and engagement

From a teaching perspective, it is important to focus on the things that you (the teacher) can do something about. Strive to聽engage more students more of the time, rather than all students, all the time. For the most part, sound teaching strategies will improve motivation in cases that are within the teacher鈥檚 鈥渟phere of influence鈥. As Wlodkowski points out, 鈥渆very instructional plan also need to be a motivational plan鈥 (p. 23) In this section we identify a number of strategies using John Keller鈥檚 ARCS model for motivational learning design.

A 鈥 Attention; R 鈥 Relevance; C 鈥 Confidence; S 鈥 Satisfaction

Attention:

  • Tie learning in your course to the students鈥 motivations. Take time early in the course to聽find out about motivations聽for being in college and for taking your course.
  • 滨苍肠辞谤辫辞谤补迟别听fun, current, and/or everyday examples聽for course concepts.
  • Design instruction using a variety of strategies to appeal to learner diversity
  • 贵辞肠耻蝉听students聽in their聽reading and note-taking聽using charts, visual organizers, outlines, etc.

Relevance:

  • Use a聽variety听辞蹿听Classroom Assessment Techniques聽to highlight what students already know related to topics and then connect new information to prior learning.
  • Build an聽interactive learning community聽that involves everyone in the learning process.
  • Give students聽options聽in major assignments whenever possible
  • Link learning outcomes, classroom activities, and assessment.

Confidence:

  • 叠别听firm, friendly, fair, and consistent. Set clear and reasonable expectations.
  • Give students聽specific, constructive feedback early, allowing more opportunity for success. 滨苍肠辞谤辫辞谤补迟别听formative聽assessments (assessments for learning)
  • Use a variety of strategies to聽鈥渟tructure learning for success鈥聽鈥 scaffolding, modeling, opportunities聽for聽guided practice, coaching.
  • Get students聽actively involved聽in the learning process. Visit the聽CTL Active Learning page聽for additional strategies.
  • Help students聽link achievement to effort and effective learning strategies.聽Give students opportunities聽to聽share and/or practice a variety of learning strategies.

Satisfaction:

  • 顿别蝉颈驳苍听relevant, achievable, and authentic learning tasks聽and assignments.
  • 笔谤辞惫颈诲别听several opportunities to demonstrate learning聽of key skills.
  • Build in the聽development of essential skills聽(critical thinking, communicating, etc).

References

Wlodkowski, R. J., & Ginsberg, M. B. (2017).聽Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults. John Wiley & Sons.