Motivation: Who holds the key?

One student will strive for a higher distinction and be dissatisfied with anything less; another is happy with just a pass; yet another may give up altogether and withdraw from a subject. It is worth reflecting on what motivates students to learn and the role a teacher plays in this process.

Two factors make students want to learn something: they have to believe that learning has value to them and that they can succeed.

Students value learning for a variety of reasons. They may have a meal-ticket focus, wanting the "piece of paper" and employment opportunities that go with it. Social rewards can be a motivator and the student may strive to please other people (e.g. family, role models) who value education. Some students are motivated by the desire to achieve and compete, to be more successful than their peers. Lastly, there is the student who is intrinsically interested in the subject and pursues it for the intellectual pleasure without the need for further reward.

Of course students want to graduate, but that may seem a distant goal and commitment to learning may wane at different times. What can a teacher do to keep the spark of motivation alive?

Biggs (1999) suggests:

teachers might worry less about motivating students, and more about teaching better. When they teach in such a way that students build up a good knowledge base, achieve success in problems that are significant, and build up a feeling of "ownership" over their learning, motivation follows good learning as night follows day. (p. 61)

Students also need to believe that they can succeed in their studies. In part, their self-efficacy will already be shaped by their previous engagement with the subject. However, the teacher has an important role to play in delivering the "hopeful" message that success - or failure - will be due to the student"s efforts rather than the "hopeless" message that success will be due to ability or some other fixed entity which the student cannot influence (Biggs, 1999). Do you think you convey 'hopeful' or 'hopeless' messages to your students?

• Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham, UK : Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.