Fostering Motivation

Fostering motivation requires consideration of four traits:

1. Competence
2. Autonomy
3. Relatedness
4. Culture

The application techniques will be explained in detail so that you can use them directly, followed by a more theoretical explanation at the end.

Progressive challenge

When designing your curriculum, create a progressive and growing increase in challenge and demand. If the class is focused on writing essays, start the semester by having the students practice their writing. The ramp-up of challenges should model the development of student skills, not forcing them to do anything they have not practiced. While practice sounds lofty and grandiose, it can often be as simple as a quick test assignment. To develop writing skills, give your students a 1-page paper. To cultivate multiple-choice skills, give them a pop quiz. To prepare them for presentations, have them present their opinions to their classmates. The ramp-up will give your students time to develop skills before they are put under pressure and then allow them to approach the final assignments of the class naturally.

Why this application?

It is important to allow individuals to understand the expression of skill and capacity needed to ensure a feeling of competence. By allowing them to develop their initial skill in a low-stakes environment and then progress alongside the assignments, they are able to feel more competent and certain of the skill demonstration needed, increasing their motivation to do so.

Allow students to choose

For any project or paper, allow the students to choose their topics. Topics can be selected from a range of options or entirely self-chosen by the student. The topics should be directly related to class material and require approval first. Even for projects that need to be centered around a specific topic, the students can be given choice and control in how they choose to discuss the topic, including their personal opinions and the project format. Any amount of control and choice that can be given to the student should be given.

Instead of providing specific questions, you can provide themes. While giving students one specific thing to think about is tempting, it is often more fruitful to give them the underlying themes and ask them to choose the questions themselves.

Furthermore, if there is a spot in your curriculum where you are unsure of what to present, let the students choose. Professors are often inclined not to show any uncertain feelings or dilemmas. However, in a scenario where the professor must choose what topic to cover for the students, including the students in the choice becomes fruitful. If they are given control over the material they are given, then the motivation will increase. They become agents in the layout of their education and can choose what suits them best.

Why this application?

By having students choose and giving them control, you give them a sense of autonomy that allows them to do work that naturally aligns with their beliefs and interests. Furthermore, giving them agency to structure and outline their work gives them an increased sense of competency through a clear and known frame of how they should express their capabilities.

Give moments to socialize

While it is easy to get wrapped up in teaching and teaching without paying heed to the students’ social situations, it is pivotal to take any moment to allow students to feel connected to their environment.

From an assignment perspective, this can mean group projects to allow the students to work together and gain social bonds through their work. The idea is for the students to get closer to one another through their work or at least find someone with whom they can relate and feel connected.

Group projects might not fit every classroom; peer review becomes extremely useful in such a case. Peer review allows students to read and critique each other’s work, practicing associated skills, but it also gives them someone they can anchor, both in terms of social context and competence.

It is important to ask questions and get students’ answers during class. Rhetorical questions are useful in terms of getting students to think. But, importantly, getting students to answer will allow you to understand their thoughts and, crucially, allow other students to get an insight into what other students feel and think. Even if all students do not and do not want to answer, those who do become an anchoring point for the other students, allowing them to feel connected. The questions can be asked in the larger setting, where students need to raise their hands and answer, but they can also be asked in small groups of the students choosing.

Why this application?

To create a feeling of relatedness, students need to feel socially connected and find an anchor point. By giving students a chance to talk to one another, you give them opportunities to find their anchor point and feel connected to their social environment. Unfortunately, you cannot force students to create social bonds. Still, as a professor, you must provide ample opportunity for them to form and cautiously assess their social progress.