Student Motivation

Sara Gregg, assistant professor, history, and Ellis Ott, graduate student in statistics, ponder ways of motivating students with Susan Yager, CELT associate director

What helps students stay motivated? According to experts in education, among the best methods of generating student interest and enthusiasm are to spark students' curiosity, whet their appetite for success, gradually build the complexity and challenge level of tasks, and maintain an atmosphere of enthusiasm and mutual respect.

While many factors, including points and grades, affect student motivation, experts say that intrinsic motivators – interest, curiosity, and readiness to learn – are stronger and more lasting than extrinsic ones such as grades. Perhaps the most important factor in learning is, simply, wanting to learn. There is almost an element of inertia in student motivation, in that motivated students, who tend to be confident and persistent, are easy to keep motivated; but undermotivated students tend to resist accepting new information or revising their thinking, which may make it more difficult for them to become motivated.

However, there are many things instructors can do to prevent glazed-over eyes or nodding heads in a classroom. Faculty can help maintain and increase student motivation by

Establishing challenging, but not impossible goals for students. Offering intellectual tasks that are a "reach" can spur learners to higher levels of success.
Helping students set their own goals for learning that are ambitious, but realistic and achievable. Research shows that, if given a choice, people will choose a challenging, though not daunting task over one that is too hard – or too easy. While it's often helpful to offer an easy question first in a discussion or on an exam, it's counterproductive to make everything too easy.
Being clear, specific, and concrete in explaining course material and in giving examples.
Organizing student learning; for example, consciously building new material on facts or concepts that students already know.
Offering positive, consistent, and timely feedback – which doesn't have to mean grades. A brief comment – if sincere – may suffice.
Engaging students in a variety of teaching activities, such as role-playing, problem-solving, or any kind of student interaction, especially if these activities can relate the course to students' interests and skills. The key here is activity, as passivity can be an impediment to feeling motivated.

Sources:

"General Principles of Motivation" and "Motivating Students." http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip

Cashin, W. E. "Motivating Students." Idea Paper, no. 1. Manhattan: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development in Higher Education, Kansas State University, 1979.

McKeachie, W. J. Teaching Tips. (10th ed.) Lexington, Mass.: Heath, 1999.