What is this thing we call "motivation?" from ERIC

According to Jere Brophy (1987), motivation to learn is a competence acquired "through general experience but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct instruction or socialization by significant others (especially parents and teachers)."

That leaves us with an interesting question...

How do we motivate unmotivated students?

Over time students who disengage from academics do so to protect themselves from feeling inadequate. Past experiences have taught them that they will fail, discouraging them from taking academic risks. It is important to realize that this is not a natural state of being. Self esteem and confidence must be grown and cultivated from a young age in order to withstand the tests of adolescence. If mistakes are viewed as a mechanism of growth and independent of a student's innate ability (or disability), he or she will have the perseverance to continue and work through their misunderstandings. This is where we (adults, teachers, and professionals) come in.

In order to help students alter their current self-beliefs, we must "retrain" them to see the other side. A process called ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING is sometimes used quite effectively with discouraged students. Ultimately, the goals for students are to:

1. Concentrate on the current activity instead of being afraid to complete the work
2. Manage frustration by re-approaching the issue at hand through an alternate avenue
3. Attribute "failure" to lack of information, effort, or ineffective strategies instead of innate
intelligence or abilities

Relevent adults and authorities can assist students in meeting these goals by modeling, providing supportive feedback, socializing students in this manner, and of course, practice.

Whether good or bad, there is a great deal of emphasis on testing and score reports. While inadvertent, we must contemplate the effect that these measurements have on our students. With a little more thought, we can certainly dismiss any negative connotations that might arrive from "poor" student performance.

Please see the full article from ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management for more information and resources relating to student motivation and achievement. As the article says,

"Because the potential payoff--having students who value learning for its own sake--is priceless, it is crucial for parents, teachers, and school leaders to devote themselves fully to engendering, maintaining, and rekindling students' motivation to learn."