Motivation

One key area that keeps popping up in my everyday teaching practice, is motivation. Motivating students and motivating teachers. But, what does this really mean? Are we concerned with motivations to learn and the display of good learning behaviours, gaining good grades and graduating with top grades? Or are we concerned with the feeling of motivation to learn within the classroom environment on a daily basis?

If a student has enrolled on to a college course, straight after gaining their GCSE results, what is behind their decision to choose that college and that particular course?

Often we find that students turn up with no clear plan or idea of what they would like to study and they wander from the construction desk, to the media desk, to catering and then to sport, and very often there are students who enrol on a course, just because there was nothing else that took their fancy.

Their motivation to study a subject from which they can progress, often doesn't exist. The resulting consequence of this, is realised by the course tutors in those first few weeks of term.

The students are not interested in the class content, they appear bored and can be disruptive, however, those students who had clear plans to enrol on the course have a real motivation within the classroom. They are interested in the vocational area, they have future plans and they have high personal expectations, that can be clearly seen by observers.

Identifying the right course for the right student is key to having a motivated class who participate, want to learn and have enthusiasm for their learning.

Keeping motivation levels high in teaching and learning can be difficult for teachers and students, however, bringing into the classroom an enthusiastic attitude and ethos for high achievements, if encouraged from the beginning and followed through continuously, will begin to become automatic and expected learning behaviour.

Motivated teachers will be mirrored by motivated students and a vibrant, fun classroom atmosphere, encouraging high achievements, will become the norm.

According to Hattie (2017), teacher credibility scores highly at 0,90 for motivating students to strive for high achievements and possibly even improve results by up to two grades.

Reference

J. Hattie (December 2017) visiblelearningplus.com