Motivating Students Susan Yager Associate Director, CELT August 16, 2005

Motivation is a tricky thing… …but I know it when I see it

What is motivation? A reason or incentive A feeling of interest or enthusiasm Forces that activate and direct behavior  Biological  Emotional  Cognitive  Social

Where does it come from? Motivation can be intrinsic… When a child is self-motivated, the teacher cannot keep him from learning. - C. John Sommerville or extrinsic… If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday. - Noel Coward

Intrinsic motivators are strong Readiness to act, perform, or learn Curiosity, desire for new experiences Exposure to and comfort with complexity Feelings of competence …and they last longer

Extrinsic motivators include Environmental factors Desire to gain skills or abilities Need to qualify for other courses or internships Incentives: privileges, approval, praise (but: excessive praise can decrease motivation).

A hard lesson… … …not everyone is motivated

Who is and isn't motivated? Students who are tend to see the use, or intrinsic worth, of what they are studying; tend to be confident and persistent; and tend to want to achieve. Students who are not tend to resist new information; may make "snap" judgments; and may be reluctant to revise their thinking (Cashin, 1979).

How can we maintain or increase motivation? Establish a caring and respectful, but businesslike, classroom atmosphere. Be organized at every level - class, unit, course. Examples: ground rules for classroom behavior; return work quickly and with useful feedback; maintain office hours. Demonstrate your interest in and respect for your students. Share your enthusiasm for the subject.

How else? Make the class optimally challenging, but not out of reach (tough but not impossible). Help students set realistic, achievable goals. Focus on increasing intrinsic motivation, but create consequences for work that's not done. Try to prevent student passivity - this can limit or hamper motivation!

How else? Provide consistent and timely feedback. It doesn't have to be graded. Offer negative feedback as a "sandwich." Bread: positive, second-person comments ("You clearly understand the principle…"). Filling: negative, third-person comments ("The report isn't clear…"). More Bread: positive and second-person ("Once you apply what you've learned here, you will be able to…").

How else? Vary teaching activities - role-playing, problem- solving, any kind of student interaction. Use different methods of presentation and multiple examples. If possible, offer multiple ways of fulfilling an assignment. Students may be more motivated in a problem- based learning course than a traditional, lecture-based course, perhaps because they feel a higher degree of self-efficacy.

How else?

Resources General Principles of Motivation guidebk/teachtip/motivate.htm Cashin, W. E. "Motivating Students." Idea Paper, no. 1. Manhattan: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development in Higher Education, Kansas State University, McKeachie, W. J. Teaching Tips. (10th ed.) Lexington, Mass.: Heath, "Motivating Students." Teaching Tips Resources. guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm