Bold Solutions Needed to Get Kids Motivated

“We got to learn about the coolest thing in school today!”

Picture the student that said that.

Many likely imagine a younger, elementary school student rather than a pre-teen or teenager. Enjoyment for learning and intrinsic motivation declines as students age, research has shown (Gottfried, 1985; Lepper, Corpus, & Iyengar, 2005). Higher intrinsic motivation (as opposed to extrinsic motivation like good grades) is linked to higher academic achievement. But why does intrinsic motivation drop? Are kids biologically pre-disposed to this downward motivational trend? Is it because they are more aware of peers, family, money, their future, and consequently less focused on their learning? Is the traditional approach to their learning and education somewhat to blame? From my research and experience as a 9th grade physics teacher for the last five years at Waltham High School in Massachusetts and as a graduate student of science education at Boston University, I’m inclined towards this third view. We should re-work secondary school models, approaches, and methods in order to prevent the ebb of pre-teens’ and teenagers’ intrinsic motivation and love of learning.

Researchers have documented constructs that correlate with academic intrinsic motivation. Gnambs and Hangfstingl (2016) found that controlling for the psychological needs of autonomy, feeling of competence, and feeling of belonging, intrinsic motivation did not decline in 11-16 year olds. They suggest traditional school environments insufficiently satisfy students in these three needs. Similarly, Goodenow’s (1993) results suggest that motivation is highly linked to a supportive classroom environment from both teachers and peers. In their 1991 paper, Eccles, Lord, and Midgley report that 8th graders in K-8 schools were more interested, more motivated, and performed better than those in other school models. While not researched, my hunch is that K-8 schools have this advantage over other models because of their increased ability to provide for those three psychological needs. So, K-8 models help, but what other approaches can we develop to satisfy students’ need for support, autonomy, competence, and belonging? I think there are great solutions out there to modify or revamp our current structures and approaches that will ultimately slow or stop the decline in excitement and value students have in learning.

What, exactly, should it look like? I don’t know. Maybe it’s getting rid of grades or standardized testing. Maybe it involves having students in smaller learning communities. Perhaps incorporating experiences and projects in the students’ communities, local businesses, or government would help. There are many compelling ideas. My district is moving towards project-based learning, which I consider a bold and important step towards employing models and strategies that can help students put more value in their learning and be more motivated to come to school.

More research is needed, and we can’t expect a single solution. We must push districts to pilot new approaches to educate students, but also fund meaningful research and measurement to ensure they work. More districts must buck tradition for the benefit of students, and they will if community members push for it.

References

Eccles, J., Lord, S., & Midgley, C. (1991). What are we doing to early Adolescents? The Impact of educational contexts on early adolescents. American Journal of Education, 99(4), 521-542.

Gnambs, T., & Hangfstingl, B. (2016). The decline of academic motivation during adolescence: An accelerated longitudinal cohort analysis on the effect of psychological need satisfaction. Educational Psychology, 36(9), 1691-1705.

Goodenow, C. (1993). Classroom belonging among early adolescent students. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 13(1), 21-43.

Gottfried, A. E., Calfee, R. C. (editor). (1985). Academic intrinsic motivation in elementary and junior high school students. Journal of Educational Psychology. 77(6), 631-645.

Lepper, M. R., Corpus, J. H., & Iyengar, S. S. (2005). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations in the classroom: age differences and academic outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 2, 184-196.