2.3.

MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION

Group : 2 (two)
Devi Royana Br Ginting (4143322007)
Hendri Silalahi (4143322011)
Rini Susanti Sihombing (4143322022)

Definition of Motivation

Motivation is typically defined as the forces that account for the arousal, selection,
direction, and continuation of behavior. Nevertheless, many teachers have at least two major
misconceptions about motivation that prevent them from using this concept with maximum
effectiveness. One misconception is that some students are unmotivated. Strictly speaking,
that is not an accurate statement. As long as a student chooses goals and expends a certain
amount of effort to achieve them, he is, by definition, motivated. What teachers really mean
is that students are not motivated to behave in the way teachers would like them to behave.
The second misconception is that one person can directly motivate another. This view is
inaccurate because motivation comes from within a person. What you can do, with the help
of the various motivation theories discussed in this chapter, is create the circumstances that
influence students to do what you want them to do.

Many factors determine whether the students in your classes will be motivated or not
motivated to learn. You should not be surprised to discover that no single theoretical
interpretation of motivation explains all aspects of student interest or lack of it. Different
theoretical interpretations do, however, shed light on why some students in a given learning
situation are more likely to want to learn than others. Furthermore, each theoretical
interpretation can serve as the basis for the development of techniques for motivating
students in the classroom. Several theoretical interpretations of motivation -- some of which
are derived from discussions of learning presented earlier -- will now be summarized.

The Difference Between Motivation and Inspiration

First, let's define motivation: To provide with an incentive; to move to action; impel. That
sounds pretty good, right? You want your team to take action! So, motivation IS good. But
consider the possibility of inspiration.
Here's a definition for inspiration: To stimulate to action. To affect or guide. To stimulate
energies, ideals or reverence. How does THAT definition strike you? Can you see the subtle,
but big difference between how we define motivation and inspiration?

Motivation IS better than being apathetic, but it requires a lot of pushing and prodding from
you the leader. Inspiration on the other hand involves more of a person's inner drive. When
you're focused on inspiration you're activating an employee's desire to act, which is less labor
intensive and longer-lasting.

Motivation concept

Behavioral Views of Motivation

Operant Conditioning and Social Learning Theory

The Effect of Reinforcement. After demonstrating that organisms tend to repeat

actions that are reinforced and that behavior can be shaped by reinforcement, Skinner
developed the technique of programmed instruction to make it possible for students to be
reinforced for every correct response. According to Skinner, supplying the correct answer--
and being informed by the program that it is the correct answer--motivates the student to go
on to the next frame; and as the student works through the program, the desired terminal
behavior is progressively shaped.

Following Skinner's lead, many behavioral learning theorists devised techniques of

behavior modification on the assumption that students are motivated to complete a task by
being promised a reward of some kind. Many times the reward takes the form of praise or a
grade. Sometimes it is a token that can be traded in for some desired object; and at other
times the reward may be the privilege of engaging in a self-selected activity.

Operant conditioning interpretations of learning may help reveal why some students
react favorably to particular subjects and dislike others. For instance, some students may
enter a required math class with a feeling of delight, while others may feel that they have
been sentenced to prison. Skinner suggests that such differences can be traced to past
experiences. He would argue that the student who loves math has been shaped to respond that
way by a series of positive experiences with math. The math hater, in contrast, may have
suffered a series of negative experiences.
 The Power of Persuasive Models Social learning theorists, such as Albert Bandura,
call attention to the importance of observation, imitation, and vicarious reinforcement
(expecting to receive the same reinforcer that we see someone else get for exhibiting a
particular behavior). A student who identifies with and admires a teacher of a particular
subject may work hard partly to please the admired individual and partly to try becoming like
that individual. A student who observes an older brother or sister reaping benefits from
earning high grades may strive to do the same with the expectation of experiencing the same
or similar benefits. A student who notices that a classmate receives praise from the teacher
after acting in a certain way may decide to imitate such behavior to win similar rewards. As
we pointed out in Chapter 8, both vicarious reinforcement and direct reinforcement can raise
an individual's sense of self-efficacy for a particular task, which, in turn, leads to higher
levels of motivation.

Cognitive Views of Motivation

Cognitive views stress that human behavior is influenced by the way people think about
themselves and their environment. The direction that behavior takes can be explained by four
influences: the inherent need to construct an organized and logically consistent knowledge
base, one's expectations for successfully completing a task, the factors that one believes
account for success and failure, and one's beliefs about the nature of cognitive ability.

The Impact of Cognitive Development

This view is based on Jean Piaget's principles of equilibration, assimilation,

accommodation, and schema formation. Piaget proposes that children possess an inherent
desire to maintain a sense of organization and balance in their conception of the world
(equilibration). A sense of equilibration may be experienced if a child assimilates a new
experience by relating it to an existing scheme, or the child may accommodate by modifying
an existing scheme if the new experience is too different.

In addition, individuals will repeatedly use new schemes because of an inherent desire
to master their environment. This explains why young children can, with no loss of
enthusiasm, sing the same song, tell the same story, and play the same game over and over
and why they repeatedly open and shut doors to rooms and cupboards with no seeming
purpose. It also explains why older children take great delight in collecting and organizing
almost everything they can get their hands on and why adolescents who have begun to attain
formal operational thinking will argue incessantly about all the unfairness in the world and
how it can be eliminated (Stipek, 1993).

How is The Motivation Process

Following are some research-based strategies for motivating students to learn.

 Become a role model for student interest. Deliver your presentations with energy and
enthusiasm. As a display of your motivation, your passion motivates your students.
Make the course personal, showing why you are interested in the material.
 Get to know your students. You will be able to better tailor your instruction to the
students’ concerns and backgrounds, and your personal interest in them will inspire
their personal loyalty to you. Display a strong interest in students’ learning and a faith
in their abilities.
 Use examples freely. Many students want to be shown why a concept or technique is
useful before they want to study it further. Inform students about how your course
prepares students for future opportunities.
 Use a variety of student-active teaching activities. These activities directly engage
students in the material and give them opportunities to achieve a level of mastery.
 Teach by discovery. Students find as satisfying as reasoning through a problem and
discovering the underlying principle on their own.
 Cooperative learning activities are particularly effective as they also provide positive
social pressure.
 Set realistic performance goals and help students achieve them by encouraging them
to set their own reasonable goals. Design assignments that are appropriately
challenging in view of the experience and aptitude of the class.
 Place appropriate emphasis on testing and grading. Tests should be a means of
showing what students have mastered, not what they have not. Avoid grading on the
curve and give everyone the opportunity to achieve the highest standard and grades.
 Be free with praise and constructive in criticism. Negative comments should pertain
to particular performances, not the performer. Offer nonjudgmental feedback on
students’ work, stress opportunities to improve, look for ways to stimulate
advancement, and avoid dividing students into sheep and goats.
  Give students as much control over their own education as possible. Let students
choose paper and project topics that interest them. Assess them in a variety of ways
(tests, papers, projects, presentations, etc.) to give students more control over how they
show their understanding to you. Give students options for how these assignments are
weighted.

Motivation Theories

The Humanistic View of Motivation

Abraham Maslow earned his Ph.D. in a psychology department that supported the behaviorist
position. After he graduated, however, he came into contact with Gestalt psychologists (a
group of German psychologists whose work during the 1920s and 1930s laid the foundation
for the cognitive theories of the 1960s and 1970s), prepared for a career as a psychoanalyst,
and became interested in anthropology. As a result of these various influences, he came to the
conclusion that American psychologists who endorsed the behaviorist position had become
so preoccupied with overt behavior and objectivity that they were ignoring other important
aspects of human existence (hence the term humanistic to describe his views). When Maslow
observed the behavior of especially well-adjusted persons--or self-actualizers, as he called
them--he concluded that healthy individuals are motivated to seek fulfilling experiences.

Maslow's Theory of Growth Motivation

Maslow describes seventeen propositions, discussed in Chapter 1 of Motivation and

Personality (3d ed., 1987), that he believes would have to be incorporated into any sound
theory of growth motivation (or need gratification) to meet them. Referring to need
gratification as the most important single principle underlying all development, he adds that
"the single, holistic principle that binds together the multiplicity of human motives is the
tendency for a new and higher need to emerge as the lower need fulfills itself by being
sufficiently gratified" (1968, p. 55). He elaborates on this basic principle by proposing a five-
level hierarchy of needs. Physiological needs are at the bottom of the hierarchy, followed in
ascending order by safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization needs. This
order reflects differences in the relative strength of each need. The lower a need is in the
hierarchy, the greater is its strength because when a lower-level need is activated (as in the
case of extreme hunger or fear for one's physical safety), people will stop trying to satisfy a
higher-level need (such as esteem or self-actualization) and focus on satisfying the currently
active lower-level need (Maslow, 1987).

The first four needs (physiological, safety, belongingness and love, and esteem) are often
referred to as deficiency needs because they motivate people to act only when they are unmet
to some degree. Self-actualization, by contrast, is often called a growth need because people
constantly strive to satisfy it. Basically, self-actualization refers to the need for self-
fulfillment -- the need to develop all of one's potential talents and capabilities. For example,
an individual who felt she had the capability to write novels, teach, practice medicine, and
raise children would not feel self-actualized until all of these goals had been accomplished to
some minimal degree. Because it is at the top of the hierarchy and addresses the potential of
the whole person, self-actualization is discussed more frequently than the other needs.

Maslow originally felt that self-actualization needs would automatically be activated as soon
as esteem needs were met, but he changed his mind when he encountered individuals whose
behavior did not fit this pattern. He concluded that individuals whose self-actualization needs
became activated held in high regard such values as truth, goodness, beauty, justice,
autonomy, and humor (Feist, 1990).

In addition to the five basic needs that compose the hierarchy, Maslow describes cognitive
needs (such as the needs to know and to understand) and aesthetic needs (such as the needs
for order, symmetry, or harmony). While not part of the basic hierarchy, these two classes of
needs play a critical role in the satisfaction of basic needs. Maslow maintains that such
conditions as the freedom to investigate and learn, fairness, honesty, and orderliness in
interpersonal relationships are critical because their absence makes satisfaction of the five
basic needs impossible. (Imagine, for example, trying to satisfy your belongingness and love
needs or your esteem needs in an atmosphere characterized by dishonesty, unfair punishment,
and restrictions on freedom of speech.)

In a couple of previous posts I briefly touched on theories of motivation and on how they can
be tapped into to raise student achievement. In particular I concerned myself with a relatively
unknown and yet powerful catalyst of motivation, self-efficacy, or expectancy of success,
which, if nurtured regularly and adequately in the classroom can majorly impact learning. In
this post I will very concisely outline the main principles underpinning other influential
motivational theories and how I deploy them in my every day teaching in an attempt to
enhance my students’ motivation.

Here is a very minimalistic overview of 8 of the 20 theories of motivation I brainstormed

before writing this article. Please note that their tenets and implications for the classroom
have been overly simplified; hence, if you are keen to apply them to your specific teaching
context, you may want to find out more about them.

1. Cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is an unresolved conflict in our mind between two
beliefs, thoughts or perceptions we hold about a given subject. The level of tension resulting
from such conflict will be a function of:

 How strong the conflict is between the two dissonant thoughts;

 How important the issue they relate to are to a specific individual or group;
 How difficult it is to rationalize (justify through logical or pseudo-logical reasoning)
the dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance is a very powerful motivator which, as I shall discuss in a future post, is
often used in transformational change programs both in the business and educational world.
The reason why it is so powerful is because, when used effectively, Cognitive dissonance
creates a sense of discomfort in an individual which in order to be resolved results in one of
two outcomes:

 The individual changes behavior (possibly replacing the existing behavior with the
newly modelled one);
 The individual does not adopt the new behavior and justifies his/her behaviour by
changing the conflicting cognition created by the new information, instead.

Implications for the classroom: Whenever you want to change a student’s attitude, first
identify the beliefs at the heart of that attitude; when you have a fairly clear picture induce
cognitive dissonance by producing powerful information and arguments which counter those
beliefs. The degree of cognitive dissonance should be as high as possible for the attitudinal
change we purport to bring about to be effective. For example, when dealing with a
misbehaving child, to simply tell them off for what they did will be way less effective than
raising their awareness of the ways their conduct affected others negatively and explaining
why is morally/ethically wrong. Or, to impose a new methodology to one’s team of teachers
by saying it is more effective than the one currently in use by merely providing statistics from
a few research studies which point to its greater effectiveness will not be as powerful as
explaining to them why the old approach is failing the target students and the new can
more effectively address the identified shortcomings. Another example in the realm of
language learning: many foreign language students in England hold negative views about the
country(i-es) where the target language is spoken. If one wants to change such attitudes one
may want to first find out what beliefs are at the root of those attitudes (e.g. are they
xenophobic stereotypes?); then in a lesson or series of lesson (at the beginning of the year,
maybe?) provide objective and solid reasons to prove that those beliefs are indeed false using
supporting evidence which will resonate with the students’ sub-culture, thereby creating
cognitive dissonance. Research suggests that over-using statistics may be detrimental and
that engaging the target students in a discussion on the issues-in-hand after the new
information has been provided, will enhance the chances of attitudinal change to occur. This
process may induce the learners to restructure their cognition.

2. Drive reduction theory

This theory is centred on the notion that we all have needs that we attempt to satisfy in order
to reduce the tension or arousal they cause. The internal stimuli these needs produce are
our main drives in life. There are Primary drives which refer to basic needs (food, sleep,
procreation, etc.) and Secondary drives which refer to social identity and personal fulfillment.

As we act on our needs we are conditioned and acquire habits and subconscious responses.
So, for example: when a child needs to feel good about himself, he may recite a poem, sing a
song, perform a dance or other ‘feats’ to his parents knowing he is going to get some
recognition. Whenever he needs recognition in other contexts, this individual will possibly
use the same tactics in order to get the same response from any other figure of authority –
including teachers.

When the driven action does not satisfy his needs or the enacting of drives is frustrated,
negative emotions (e.g. anxiety) arise. To go back to the previous example: if the boy is
looking for a chance to show off to an authority figure his ‘skills’ but he is not given the
opportunity to do so, he will feel frustrated, angry and/or unappreciated – a very common
scenario in school, often dismissed as the child being ‘naughty’ or ‘unruly’.

Implications for the classroom: find out what drives your students, especially the difficult
ones. Instead of approaching the problem by ‘punishing’ them, have a one-on-one chat with
them and try to discover what is that they find fulfilling and see if you can find opportunities
in your lessons for them to enact their drives. For instance, if you have a student passionate
about drama who does not seem to enjoy language learning, ask them to contribute their
acting skills by myming vocabulary or sentences in lessons or setting up a mini-production in
the target language.

3. Attribution theory

When we make a mistake or ‘fail’ at something we tend to go through a two-step process. We

first experience an automatic response involving internal attribution (i.e. the error is our
fault); then a conscious, slower reaction which seeks to find an alternative external
attribution (e.g. the error is due to an external factor). This is because we all have a vested
interest in ‘looking good’ in our own eyes – a sort of survival mechanism. This type of
response, however, is unlikely to lead to self-improvement, as it results in an individual not
addressing the real cause of their error/bad performance in the future. Roesch and Amirkham
(1997) found that more experienced and successful athletes made more self-serving
attributions which lead to identifying and addressing the internal causes of their performance
errors.

Implications for the classroom: when dealing with students who complain about not
progressing because the subject, skill or task is too hard for them, show them – where
applicable – that the reasons why they are not improving is not intrinsic in the nature of that
subject, skill or task , but has more to do with other factors under his/her control (e.g. the
study habits, such as lack of systematic revision). This will create cognitive dissonance and
may have an impact on their attitude, especially if they are shown strategies that may help
them improve in the problematic area(s) of their learning. The afore mentioned research by
Roesch and Amirkham (1997) and their findings could be drawn upon and discussed with
your students to reinforce the point; I often do, citing the example of famous athletes the
students admire and pointing out how they learn from their mistakes by watching videos of
themselves playing a match over and over again or asking peers/experts for feedback in order
to identify and address their shortcomings.

4. Endowed progress effect

When people feel they have made some progress towards a goal, they will feel more
committed towards its achievement. Conversely, people who are making little or no progress
are more likely to give up early in the process. In my work with very low achieving ‘difficult’
students when I operated in challenging inner-city-area schools,sitting with them at the
beginning of a task and guiding them through open questioning often ‘did the trick’ where
threatening them with sanctions had failed miserably.

Implications for the classroom: Whatever the task you engage your students in, ensure that
they all experience success in the initial stages. This may call for two approaches which are
not mutually exclusive: (1) design any instructional sequence in a ‘stepped’ fashion, with
‘easy’ tasks that become gradually more difficult; (2) provide lots of scaffolding (support) at
the initial stages of teaching.

5. Cognitive Evaluation Theory

When looking at a task, we assess it in terms of how well it meets our need to feel competent
and in control. We will be intrinsically motivated by tasks we believe fall in our current level
of competency and ‘put off’ by those which we deem we will do poorly at. This issue is often
more about self-perception of one’s levels of competency than objective truth.

Implications for the classroom: we need to ensure that before engaging students in
challenging tasks that they may perceive as being beyond their levels of competence we
prepare them adequately, cognitively and emotionally. For instance, in language learning,
before carrying out a difficult listening comprehension task, students should be exposed
several times to any unfamiliar vocabulary or other language item contained in the to-be-
heard recording so as to facilitate the task. Moreover, modelling strategies that may
facilitate the tasks and giving them the opportunity to experience some success in similar
tasks through those very strategies may increase their sense of self-efficacy; this will give
them greater expectancy of success and a feeling of empowerment which will feed into their
sense of competency and control.
Another important implications relate to the way we design the curriculum and assessment.
For effective progression from a lower level to a higher one to be possible, students must be
given plenty of opportunities to consolidate the material processed at the lower level before
moving on. This does not often happen in courses which rely heavily on textbooks. For
instance, in most of the institutions I have worked in over 25 years of teaching, I was asked to
teach a unit of work every six-seven weeks, a totally unrealistic pace when contact time is
limited to one or two hours a week. The result: the weaker children are usually left behind.

6. Self-determination theory; Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation.

Individuals differ from one another in terms of PLOC (personal locus of causality). Some
will feel that their behavior is self-determined; they are the initiators and sustainers of their
actions and their PLOC will be internal. Others will see external forces as determinants of
their lives; coercing them into actions. These people’s PLOC will be external. The internal
locus is connected with intrinsic motivation, whilst the external locus is connected with
extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation is when one is motivated by external factors, such as rewards, social
recognition or fear of punishment. This kind of motivation focuses people on rewards rather
than action.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, refers to the desire to do things because we enjoy
doing them, hence it is a stronger motivator than Extrinsic motivation. Three needs lead to
intrinsic motivation:

 Being successful at what we do (i.e. I enjoy French because I am good at it);

 Being connected with others (i.e. I love my French class because I have bonded well
with the rest of the class)
 Having autonomy (see below)

An important factor leading to Intrinsic Motivation creation is providing learners with the
oppportunity to develop effectance. Effectance refers to one of the 3 points made above
(being successful at what we do) and is given rise to when the learner accomplishes success
at something that they perceive challenging and falling in what Deci (1997) terms ‘Optimal
zone of development’ – i.e.: a task that it is perceived as difficult enough to be challenging
but within the stretch of the learner’s ability. Effectance does not arise when we simply give
students ‘easy’ work; that is why the ‘easy wins’ strategy often fails with students with poor
intrinsic motivation; students are not stupid, they know you are dumbing down the work to
make them feel good and the ensuing praise will not affect their self-regard as learners of
your subject.

Self-determination theory assumes that there are individuals for whom a feeling of being in
control of their life and responsible for their actions is very important for their personal
fulfillment and, consequently, for their motivation.

Implications of Self-Determination theory for the classroom: it may be useful to identify

which students in your classes have an internal or external PLOC. In my experience this is
not difficult. Once identified the internal PLOC of the target individuals, it is very important
to cater for their self-determination needs and grant them a degree of autonomy in and
ownership over their learning. E.g.: when staging a reading session in the classroom;
carrying out a project; asking students to practise vocabulary online, let them choose how to
go about it (whilst setting some guidelines for the sake of consistency). People with high
internal PLOC thrive in self-directed learning tasks and contexts; teachers must endeavour to
exploit to the fullest this personality trait’s greater potential for autonomy in L2 learning.
People with a high external PLOC will need more praise, direction from and a sense of
accountability to teachers and caretakers.

Implications of Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation theory: Pretty obvious. The main ones: (1)
make lessons as enjoyable as possible and make them experience EFFECTANCE regularly in
your lessons, as this may help boost their intrinsic motivation; (2) Plan every single one of
your lessons with the following questions in mind: ‘How can I make sure that every student
goes out of my lessons feeling they have progressed?; (3) foster connectedness in the class by
creating a team spirit and a sense that the whole class is working towards the same goal and
that every student feels comfortable working with everyone else (e.g. make sure that people
do not work with the same partners all the time when staging group work); give plenty of
opportunities for positive peer feedback (e.g. get students’ to celebrate other students’
achievements). (4) Show them the benefits of learning the TL for their future job prospect,
personal growth, etc. and of every activity you stage in lessons in terms of learning benefits;
use praise as a means to validate their efforts but ensure that you do not over-praise or it will
lose its motivational power (most students can sense when you are just trying to bribe them
with compliments; this may engender complacency and even loss of motivation in the long-
run).

There is a myth circulating amongst some educators these days (including some of my
colleagues) that Extrinsic motivation should not be tapped into as a strategy to encourage
students to improve. However, there is no sufficient credible evidence that Extrinsic
Motivation is detrimental to learning to do away with it; on the contrary, research shows
consistently that extrinsic motivation, when not overused and deployed in synergy with some
of the other strategies discussed in this post, can eventually bring about Intrinsic motivation.
Example: a student that does not enjoy French may, through experiencing a sense of
effectance and obtaining consistent (thoroughly deserved and proportionate) praise and
rewards become more appreciative of the subject, especially if she is experiencing steady
growth in her mastery of the language and feels connected and supported by his peers.

It is self-evident that using Extrinsic motivation will work with certain individuals rather than
others; hence, as already mentioned, identifying the orientation of their Personal Locus Of
Causality (PLOC) is fundamental, prior to carrying out any intervention.

7. Valence- Instrumentality- Expectancy (VIE) theory

In this paradigm, motivation refers to three factors

 Valence: what we think we will get out of a given action/behaviour (what’s in it for
me?)
 Instrumentality: the belief that if I perform a specific course of action I will succeed
(clear path?)
 Expectancy: the belief that I will be definitely able to succeed (self-efficacy)

Implications for the classroom:

(1) make clear to students why a specific outcome is desirable (e.g. getting and A/A* at
GCSE speaking exams). Make sure you list as many benefits as possible, especially those that
most relevant to their personal preferences, interests and life goals;

(2) provide them with a clear path to get there. This may involve showing them a set of
strategies they can use (e.g. autonomously seeking opportunities for practice with native
speakers in school) or a clear course of action they can undertake which is within their grasp
(e.g. talk to your teacher about how to improve your essay writing; identify with their help
the two or three main issues; work out with them some strategies to address those issues;
monitor with their help through regular feedback and meetings with them that their are
working and if they are not why; etc.). A clear path gives a struggling student a sense of
empowerment, especially if they feel that they are being provided with effective tips and
support to overcome the obstacles in the way;

(3) support their self-belief that that outcome can be achieved (e.g. by mentioning to them
examples of students from previous cohorts of similar ability who did it) and by reminding
them of similar/comparable challenges they successfully undertook in the past.

8. Goal-related theory

In order to direct ourselves in our personal, educational and professional life we set ourselves
goals. These can be:

 Clear (so we know what to do and what not to do)

 Challenging (so we get some stimulation)
 Achievable (so we do not fail)

If we set goals ourselves, rather than having them imposed on us, we are more likely to work
harder in order to achieve them. Moreover, Locke and Kristoff (1996) identified specific and
challenging goals as those which are more likely to lead to higher achievement.

Implications for the classroom: instead of setting goals for your students in a top-down
fashion, involve them actively in the process of learning. Moreover, help the students narrow
down the goals set as much as possible and gauge them as accurately as possible to their
existing level of competence. E.g.: instead of simply telling a student to check his next essay
more accurately next time around and give them a lengthy error checklist, sit down with them
and ask them to choose three challenging error categories that they would like to focus on
and to aim to attain 80, 90 or even 100% accuracy in those categories in their essay due the
following week. Make sure that the knowledge required by the learners to prevent or fix the
target errors is learnable and that the students are provided with learning strategies which
will assist them in achieving the set goals. I did this in my PhD study with excellent results.
I picked the above theories as they are the ones that I have been using more successfully over
25 years as a classroom teacher and subject leader. It goes without saying that in order to
apply them effectively one has to ensure first and foremost that they know and listen to the
learners they are dealing with. Cognitive and emotional empathy are a must for the success of
any of the above motivational strategies.

These strategies work best in synergy rather than in isolation. In a future post, for instance, I
will endeavour to show how attitudinal change may be brought about by using a combination
of the above principles to achieve the desired outcomes.

The Importance of Motivation in education

Motivation is the impulse that brings us to carry-out and achieves what we propose and plays
a large role in learning. According to a study, motivation influences math performance
more than IQ.

Researchers found that while IQ is a factor in the successful acquisition of math, it mostly
applies to the basic concepts that you learn in early schooling. Motivation and study skills
become more of a determining factor as you continue to develop math skills. The students
that felt competent were intrinsically motivated to learn, and used skills like explaining,
synthesizing, and making connections to other materials, while avoiding memorization.

The Importance of Motivation: Why is it pertinent to keep children motivated to learn?

 Motivation improves persistence and effort

 Motivation improves initiative
 Improves cognitive processing skills
 Motivation improves overall performance

The Importance of Motivation: how can you tell if your kids or students are motivated?

According to Rodriguez Moneo, behavior can be an accurate barometer for motivation.

Measuring behavior and comparing it to other students or times of the day can be a reliable to
check on students’ motivation throughout the day. The importance of motivation and
measuring it in students is key in a successful learning environment. Check for these signs to
see if your students are motivated.

 Preference or choice of one choice over another. If I choose to watch TV instead of

doing my homework, my choice will reflect my motivation level.
 Latency, or the time it takes to create a response to a stimulation. The longer it takes
you to do a task, the less motivation.
 Effort. The more physical and cognitive resources invested in the task, the more
motivation there is.
 Persistence. There is usually more motivation when the takes longer to finish a task
and do it well. The sooner you give up, the less motivated you are.
 Expressive indicators of emotions. Actions are usually accompanied by emotional
expressions that indicate pleasure or displeasure that the action causes. Being aware
of your student’s expressions can give a good indicator of their motivation.

The importance of Motivation: How can you improve motivation in the classroom?

1. Attitude influences motivation

Research has shown that the interaction between her and student is more important than
structural factors like educational materials or class size. This relationship between student
and teacher begins when they start school and is just as important as the student advances and
the academic challenges become more difficult.

According to a study at the University of Eastern Finland, a warm and positive atmosphere
can help improve children’s motivation to learn.

An empathetic teacher doesn’t only help protect the student’s image of themselves as
student, but it also helps prevent social exclusion by classmates. Teacher burnout can lead to
a downfall in motivation and the students can be affected by the teacher’s anxiety symptoms
and job stress.
How can you promote motivation?: Show your students that you’re positive and excited
about learning. Create ties and connect with your students. Make sure they know that you
care about them and their academic success. Be sure to stay away from embarrassing or
criticizing them if they don’t understand anything, and be empathetic and understanding with
them.

2. Value their effort

It’s more important to value effort than the final product. If you put too much importance on
the finished product, you’ll forget to reinforce all of the hard work that the student has put in.

How can you promote motivation?: Concentrate on the child’s learning process and
encourage and reward them for a working hard. “You’re concentrating really well and I can
tell that you’re enjoying it!”, or “You’re working really hard, you’re going to learn a lot
today”.

3. Keep the children involved

If children feel useful and involved, they’ll feel responsible and more motivated.

How can you promote motivation?: Give students responsibilities and make participating in
class fun. Give each student a task, like keeping the classroom organized, cleaning the
whiteboard, handing out material, etc. When your students work together, they’ll feel
responsible and motivated to get their task done.

4. Use incentives

While it’s important to reinforce and reward effort, children need tangible things to reward a
job well done. Children aren’t always able to understand the long-term benefits of getting
good grades and learning- they need instant feedback. Incentives motivate them to work hard
and really try because they’ll be thinking about their final goal.

How can you promote motivation?: Recognize little wins and reward them. In the
classroom, this may mean special privileges or little things like stickers. However, it’s
important they’re rewarded when it really matters, or else they won’t see these kind of
rewards as special, but rather commonplace and expected. Ideally, you’ll wait some time
between each reward. For example, you could give one reward a day in Kindergarten, but
should wait about a week for older children.

As time goes on, try to give less and less prizes so that they don’t get used to getting them
and start to expect rewards. Rather than objects, give them a smile or a high five.

5. Change things up

Kids get bored easily, and if they’re not adequately stimulated in the classroom, you could
see behavioral issues and lack of motivation, even if their cognitive abilities are at normal
levels. Kids are especially used to technology and the constant stimulation of games.

How can you promote motivation?: Be creative. Teach using games and activities, have
them argue and interact with one another. Passive learning is not only boring, but has been
shown to be ineffective. Think about using photographs, videos, movies, murals, etc.

6. Explain why it’s important

Kids can often lose motivation if they don’t know how what they’re learning relates to the
“real” world. This is why it’s so important to explain why they’ll need to know what they’re
learning.

How can you promote motivation?: You can create an introduction to each section that
talks about real-world application. This way they’ll start the chapter knowing what they’re
learning about and why it’s useful.

7. Don’t talk down

“Talking down” to kids and making them feel stupid, slow, or lazy will only hurt their
motivation and upset them. Using names and labels like these can damage their self-esteem
and make them feel useless.

How can you promote motivation?: Try to avoid using negative labels, and instead talk
about their strengths. Make sure they understand that just because they’re not the best at one
thing, doesn’t mean that they’re a failure, it just means that they have other strengths.
 8. Use CogniFit, leader in brain-based learning platforms

Brain-based learning is based on a new vision for learning, which takes cognitive research
and applies it to the classroom, allowing to analyze and improve learning processes. CogniFit
is a leader in brain-based learning and has a program that was specifically designed for
educators around the globe.

What are the different parts of the brain?

CogniFit’s technology is based on neuroplasticity or the idea that the brain is malleable and
can be trained and changed. The program and activities are easy to use and fun for the user.
The clinical brain games can be played on a computer, tablet, or phone, and is a brain training
solution for professionals who don’t have the specific training required for other types of
cognitive training.

How can you promote motivation?: CogniFit identifies each student’s strengths,
weaknesses, and motivation, and helps to improve and train the skills that need work. By
improving some cognitive skills, the student has a better chance of performing well in school
and thus improving motivation.

9. Help manage anxiety

Many children have a hard time staying motivated because they’re anxious and worried that
they will fail or perform poorly.

How can you improve motivation?: Be calm and make sure they know that failure isn’t
necessarily a bad thing. Making mistakes helps you learn better and think of new ways to
solve a certain problem.

10. Show them how to be motivated

It’s great to motivate children, but it’s even better if they learn how to motivate themselves.

How can you promote motivation?: Help them think of reasons why they should want to
learn what they’re learning. Is it going to help them in the real world? Will it be important
when they go to college? Will it benefit them in their day-to-day lives?
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