The world we live in is changing rapidly; the students of today are flexible, creative, technology savvy, open minded, and sometimes multilingual. They will leave school with a need to be adaptive to new situations and ideas. An effective teacher will need to be reflective and constantly assess the changes in our world, in our society, in new technologies and most importantly in their classrooms.
Learners today differ from the past. Engaged, motivated, self-directed, and diverse learning styles characterize contemporary learners. Today’s learners are “ wealthy in terms of access to media and communication, and they demand engagement in everything they do” (Prensky, 2005).
What is motivation? How does an effective teacher motivate these students?
Motivation is a desire, an energy in people to be interested in and committed to an activity, and to put effort into reaching a goal. Most educators would agree that motivating students is a critical task of teaching.
Theoretical views vary on how students are best motivated to learn. They are as follows:
- Behaviorist Theory - Motivation occurs based on what the student has experienced in the past, hence students in a classroom environment will best respond to rewards and benefits provided by the teacher in response to their behavior or result (Eggen, P., Kauchak, D., 2010).
- Cognitive and Social Theory - People want to understand the world around them, thus students have a natural tendency to want to learn more about that which they do not currently comprehend. Tapping into students thirst for knowledge by frequently introducing new and challenging concepts will complement this theory (Eggen, P., Kauchak, D., 2010).
- Sociocultural Theory - Students thrive in group learning situations and will engage in activities that they would not normally do without support of their peers. Students work together to achieve success as opposed to being in competition. Working in small groups and allowing students to interact throughout lessons will encourage student participation (Eggen, P., Kauchak, D., 2010).
- Students aim to become “self-actualized”, meaning that they become all they can be and fulfill their full potential. Students who are determined to excel will take the opportunity to engage in any challenging learning experience and it is important that teachers foster their students desire to succeed (Eggen, P., Kauchak, D., 2010).
To be an effective motivator it is essential to understand the many areas which may contribute to students' motivation levels.
Students must have their basic needs met before they can concentrate on learning and activities in the classroom. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs comes into focus here.
Abraham Maslow (1968, 1970) categorized human needs into the following two groups
• Growth Needs – the need for a person to reach their full potential.
• Deficiency Needs – the needs, that if unfulfilled, energizes people to meet them.
Physiological needs are the very basic needs that a person requires to survive. They include air, food, water, warmth and sleep. If these needs are not met the students’ motivation may diminish. Fulfilling these needs is required to ease discomfort and irritation.
Once the physiological needs are satisfied, the students need for order and predictability in their world dominates their behavior. They are motivated to feel safe and secure within their family, society and their peers.
They will search for that sense of belonging and acceptance. Feeling lonely or alienated will overcome the desire to pay attention to what is happening in the classroom. Students also need recognition and approval from others. The building of self-esteem will result in competency. It is not until all these needs are met that the student can realize their full potential.
Motivation for students to participate and learn is generally based on one of two factors. They are extrinsically influenced, through the desire to take part in an activity based on receiving a reward or, intrinsically motivated, based on the need to succeed for their own satisfaction. Research indicates the intrinsic motivation is preferable because of its focus on learning and understanding (Brophy, 2004). In spite of this most teachers commonly use rewards as motivators in the classroom. Although research indicates rewards, judiciously used, can be effective. For instance, praise for genuine achievement (Cameron, Pierce, & Banko, 2005) and rewards that recognize increasing competence can increase intrinsic motivations (Covington, 2000; Gehlbach & Roeser, 2002).
There is more than one way to motivate students in the classroom. Effective teachers in the twenty-first century will recognize and reinforce the benefits of self-evaluation and self assessment. Students who can judge and assess their own work and evaluate themselves are more likely to be motivated to achieve. They will require less scaffolding from their teacher and will have learnt a life skill.
Students setting their own goals are more likely to achieve them rather than goals set for them. Students are less likely to fail at their desired goals. Effective teachers will hold high expectations for all students. Self-efficacy strongly influences motivation to learn (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010).
Sometimes, teachers will have to help a student become motivated in what is being taught. Some students will display a learned helplessness, a debilitating belief that they are incapable of accomplishing a task. Students with a learned helplessness have a low self-esteem and often suffer from anxiety and depression (Graham & Weiner, 1996). Research suggests that teachers can increase these students’ motivation to learn by teaching them learning strategies and encouraging them.
Effective teachers will encourage motivation to learn by:
- Providing an organized classroom environment
- Being supportive
- Assigning challenging work
- Making tasks worthwhile
- Making learning goals clear and attainable
- Modeling good problem solving
- Connecting lessons to the needs of students
- Planning activities to foster students interests
- Arousing curiosity
- Making learning fun
- Explaining connections between present and future
- Providing incentives and rewards when needed
- Modeling motivation to learn
- Ongoing reflection and assessment of the classroom environment
Teachers face increasing demands: standardized testing, large class sizes and a lack of student motivation. However, teachers, do have the ability to motivate students in a positive way. It’s important not to give up when working with students who are motivationally challenged. There may not be immediate results. It may take a few weeks or more. However, if these strategies are implemented a teacher can create the sort of environment that motivates students.
All students are individuals; they are motivated in many different ways. For any teacher to be truly successful, they must take the time to get to know each student and in doing so, they will gain the knowledge needed to help inspire their students to succeed in an ever changing world and be the best they can be.
