Self-Motivation In Students, Can It Be Developed?

Developing self-motivation in students is a tricky process to get your head around because it often feels counter intuitive.  Students who are intrinsically motivated also known as self-motivated, learn because they like learning and not for a reward.  They develop good educational habits, such as persisting through challenging obstacles and exploring new topics. There are several ways to encourage students to be intrinsically motivated. A research study done by Harvard Graduate School of Education shows three distinct drivers of intrinsic motivation.

Students who are intrinsically motivated feel like they have control over their learning. If students feel like they have control, or in other words are autonomous, they are more likely to persist through the more boring and tedious tasks in learning. They also process the information at a deeper level. Giving students choices in how they learn, such as letting them pick a book off of a list instead of assigning them one, is a good way to achieve this.

Students who feel isolated have been shown to have lower achievement. So, students who are intrinsically motivated are those who connect with other students. This can be achieved through group or partner activities and encouraging students to connect with each other instead of being managed by a teacher.

Students need to be challenged through difficult assignments, but they also need to feel equipped to handle these challenges. Often, if students are challenged without the right equipment it can cause increased anxiety. To help students feel better equipped, they must be challenged on a regular basis. In the classroom, this can take the form of activities designed to be challenging. This is designed to make students feel like they are competent with the material without just throwing them in the deep end. Providing non-critical feedback is also helpful. This adds to the student’s repertoire of tools to handle challenging assignments without making them feel like they are doing something wrong.

Students who develop intrinsic motivation are likely to carry this into their careers after school. And this self-motivation will set them apart in the real world as well as making them perform better in the classroom. 

Click to read original article on Self-Motivation in Students: Original Article.  For more Peak Academic Coaching articles visit the Blog Page.  If you would like information about PAC’s success habit building and executive functioning skills training program visit the Academic Coaching Page.  If you would like to see an overview of services offered by PAC, check out the Home Page.  Read many amazing PAC success stories on the Testimonials Page.  For a full overview of the services offered by Peak Academic Coaching go to the Home Page.  Access PAC’s indepth phylosophy on our Core Principles Page.  To see who PAC serves visit the About PAC Page. Does your child need Tutoring?  To see the many areas of subject tutoring in which we offer support, visit the PAC Tutoring Page.

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