HomeEducationA Strategy for Boosting...

A Strategy for Boosting Student Motivation

A teacher shares the strategy she developed to increase elementary students’ willingness to engage in productive struggle and meet their learning goals.

How to motivate students is an issue that teachers have always had to grapple with. Now, with the constant stimuli of internet-connected devices, it can seem impossible. By incorporating psychological, social, and cognitive theories from Fritz Heider, Bernard Weiner, and Alfred Bandura, respectively, into what I think of as a “Frankensteined” Cycle of Motivation, I have been able to break through the motivation barrier. Using this strategy, I focus on what students attribute their successes to, on setting up mastery experiences and opportunities for productive struggle, and on providing goal-related feedback.

Getting started

To begin with, you can have a conversation with students about productive struggle. I would do this during morning meeting, even in grades as young as kindergarten. Productive struggle is working through challenges to reach your goal, and in kindergarten we said that productive struggle is “trying your best and never giving up.”

Creating an anchor chart for reference is important for continuing to reinforce the idea throughout the school year. The conversation on creating the chart is followed shortly by a conversation on attribution: When we succeed in our productive struggle, why? What do we attribute that success to? I have successfully had conversations about attribution and created an anchor chart in grades two through five.

The answers to the above questions should be limited to things that students can repeat and are a result of an action on their part. Being “smart” or “lucky,” for example, does not lead to success and isn’t repeatable because it isn’t in our control. Those descriptors are too vague. “Using my resources,” “asking for help,” and “studying or reading at night before bed” are all replicable actions that students can take to increase their subsequent chances of success.

A Classroom Culture of Motivation

During classwork and instruction, you can create opportunities for mastery experiences, purposeful opportunities that let students overcome a slightly difficult challenge so they can experience success and gain self-efficacy they’ll need for a more difficult challenge. 

For example, when talking about comparing fractions in fourth grade, I start with ⅓ versus ⅔. While students are discussing the differences, ask how they know what they know. They might say they remember from third grade or they know about the number of parts or size of parts. Activate schema. They’re feeling confident and motivated to take risks. Ask if they’re ready for a challenge.

Challenges are nothing to be afraid of—they’re opportunities for growth—and I have never gotten a “no” at this point. Then challenge students with something like ⅓ and ⅙. This highlights common misconceptions. Ask them how they can use what they know to figure out what they don’t know. How can they use what they know about the number of parts and sizes of parts to figure out this question? Discuss. Ask questions and provide feedback.

When they have figured out a hard question, ask: How did we figure that out? What do we attribute our success to? Discuss the repeatable strategies they used, like using prior knowledge, reasoning, drawing a picture, discussing with a neighbor, etc. Then ask if they’re ready for another challenge. Their self-efficacy increases, which increases their internal motivation and their willingness to productively struggle.

For younger students, let’s say they are learning how to write letters. Start with o. It’s a circle (mastery experience). “Now, I wonder if you can write an a. Let’s try. It’s an o with a line.” Once they’ve done it, you’ll likely see increased motivation. “How did you know how to do that?” (Attribution). “Well, you just wrote an o and then a line because you knew how to write an o! I wonder if we could try a d, since you know how to write an o and a line.” And repeat. Throughout their learning during whole or small group, partner, or independent practice, remind them of what they have attributed their success to in the past.

Include Goal-Setting

This is also applicable to assessments. You can goal-set with students. Conferencing with students prior to the assessment to discuss goals and what actions they can take to reach their achievable and measurable goal prepares them for the post-assessment conversation and helps them to verbally explain how they’re taking ownership of their success. Then, after the assessment, conferencing with them to reflect on whether they met their goal and why or why not allows them to become self-aware about how their actions control their outcomes.

“If we didn’t meet our goal, what can we add or subtract from our actions to ensure our success? Do we need to adjust our goal?” This is not a time for shaming—it is only a time for reflection on actions and outcomes.

“If we did meet our goal, what actions do we take to refine and repeat to continue our success?” Students begin to understand that there are things they can control, but also, sometimes, even when they try their best, they still might not reach their goal, and that’s OK. “What can we tweak to help ourselves? Tweak the goal? Tweak the supports? Tweak ourselves in some way?”

When incorporating this Cycle of Motivation in my classroom, 93 percent of my students reached a new growth band. In Texas, we have Did Not Meet, Met, and Masters for the state assessment. I had students who traditionally scored in Did Not Meet or Met who moved up to Masters, and that included students served in special education, by dyslexia services, etc.

This had never happened before, and I was recognized by my district of 30,000 students for this accomplishment. I definitely attribute this to the above strategy of helping students take ownership of their learning by empowering them to make better choices based on what they can control, challenging them to overcome struggles, celebrating them, and helping them recognize how their choices affect outcomes. They were the most motivated, most powerful learners I’d ever taught.

This strategy is meant to help students become self-aware and motivated and to increase their self-efficacy through successful productive struggle. Another powerful by-product of this strategy, however, is a classroom full of students who love a challenge (and might challenge you on occasion) and who are able to internalize how they can control more than they think.

Cre: Edutopia

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

More from Author

นักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยพบช่องโหว่ในฐานข้อมูลของ DeepSeek

DeepSeek บริษัทสตาร์ทอัพด้านปัญญาประดิษฐ์ของจีน ถูกนักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยค้นพบช่องโหว่ ซึ่งเป็นข้อมูลการสนทนาและคีย์ลับ หรือ Secret Keys กว่า 1 ล้านรายการ สร้างความกังวลเกี่ยวกับความเป็นส่วนตัวและความปลอดภัยของข้อมูลผู้ใช้ นักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยจาก...

Painting found at garage sale is a Van Gogh, experts say

A painting bought at a garage sale in Minnesota is a...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

Mr Nguyen Thang Long – The dream of elevating young designers at Global Student Fashion Week

In the Vietnamese fashion industry, Mr. Nguyen Thang Long is not only known as a passionate founder but also as a strong source of inspiration for the younger generation of designers. With firm belief in the talent and creative potential of young people, he has tirelessly worked...

Miss &Mister Celebrity Vietnam 2024 – Truong Thuy Trang & Doan Bao An – Image Representatives of GSFW

Truong Thuy Trang and Doan Bao An, winners of Miss & Mister Celebrity Vietnam 2024, have been appointed as Image Representatives for Global Student Fashion Week (GSFW) 2025. This marks a significant step in their careers while promoting Vietnamese fashion on the international stage. Truong Thuy Trang -...

นักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยพบช่องโหว่ในฐานข้อมูลของ DeepSeek

DeepSeek บริษัทสตาร์ทอัพด้านปัญญาประดิษฐ์ของจีน ถูกนักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยค้นพบช่องโหว่ ซึ่งเป็นข้อมูลการสนทนาและคีย์ลับ หรือ Secret Keys กว่า 1 ล้านรายการ สร้างความกังวลเกี่ยวกับความเป็นส่วนตัวและความปลอดภัยของข้อมูลผู้ใช้ นักวิจัยด้านความปลอดภัยจาก Wiz เปิดเผยว่าพวกเขาได้ค้นพบฐานข้อมูลสำคัญของ DeepSeek ที่เปิดเผยสู่สาธารณะโดยไม่มีการป้องกัน โดยข้อมูลที่พบประกอบไปด้วยประวัติการสนทนาของผู้ใช้งาน คีย์สำหรับยืนยันตัวตน API บันทึกระบบ และข้อมูลสำคัญอื่นๆ ซึ่งสามารถเข้าถึงได้โดยไม่มีข้อจำกัดใดๆ ทีมวิจัยของ Wiz ระบุว่าพวกเขาสามารถค้นพบฐานข้อมูลนี้ได้ภายในไม่กี่นาที โดยไม่ต้องผ่านกระบวนการยืนยันตัวตน ข้อมูลดังกล่าวถูกเก็บอยู่ในระบบจัดการข้อมูลโอเพ่นซอร์สที่เรียกว่า ClickHouse และมีบันทึกมากกว่า 1 ล้านรายการ Wiz ระบุว่าช่องโหว่นี้อาจทำให้แฮกเกอร์สามารถควบคุมฐานข้อมูลได้ทั้งหมด รวมถึงอาจเพิ่มสิทธิ์การเข้าถึงในระบบของ DeepSeek ได้ ซึ่งอาจนำไปสู่การโจมตีระบบภายในของบริษัท หลังจาก Wiz แจ้งเตือนเรื่องช่องโหว่ DeepSeek ได้ดำเนินการปิดฐานข้อมูลทันที อย่างไรก็ตาม ยังไม่มีข้อมูลแน่ชัดว่ามีใครเข้าถึงข้อมูลนี้ไปก่อนหน้าหรือไม่ นักวิจัยของ Wiz ให้สัมภาษณ์กับ Wired ว่าไม่แปลกใจเลยหากมีคนอื่นพบฐานข้อมูลนี้ก่อนพวกเขา เพราะมันถูกเปิดกว้างและค้นพบได้ง่ายมาก นอกจากนี้ พวกเขายังตั้งข้อสังเกตว่าระบบของ...

Painting found at garage sale is a Van Gogh, experts say

A painting bought at a garage sale in Minnesota is a previously unknown portrait by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, according to a newly published expert analysis. It was made by Van Gogh during his stay at a psychiatric hospital in the south of France in 1889, experts commissioned...

Best red carpet looks at the 2025 Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are renowned for outlandish fashion. But on a night of tributes to first responders and victims of LA’s recent wildfires, many guests struck a comparatively restrained note at the Crypto.com arena on Sunday. The all-black trend seen at recent award ceremonies was embraced by everyone from Miley...

Meet the designer redefining lace for the 21st century

When British comedian and presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg stepped onto the red carpet to interview Sydney Sweeney in 2022, it only took a second for Dimoldenberg’s dress to reverse their roles. “This is amazing,” Sweeney said, reaching out to touch the presenters’ sleeveless black floor-length gown. The fabric —...

Anna Wintour takes off her iconic sunglasses for meeting with King Charles

Anna Wintour is rarely seen without her shades. But for a special occasion, she was prepared to break with tradition. The legendary Vogue editor-in-chief was presented with the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. She was appointed to the order in...

Grammys and FireAid concerts expected to raise over $120 million for LA fire relief

The music industry came together for an ambitious Los Angeles fire relief effort the week of the Grammy Awards that is estimated to have raised more than $120 million. Of that, $9 million raised during the Grammys telecast on Sunday night, a representative for the Recording Academy told...

Miles Teller saved his recently deceased grandfather’s watch from Palisades Fire… and not much else

Miles Teller’s home was destroyed when the Palisades Fire ripped through his Los Angeles neighborhood last month, but he grabbed one very important item just in the nick of time. Teller recounted his harrowing experience evacuating his home in the Pacific Palisades – an affluent neighborhood in LA’s Westside that...

Kim Kardashian’s ‘Nobody Wants This’ mixup caused Adrien Brody’s Instagram to go ‘crazy’

Adrien Brody’s Instagram recently got a major surge in activity, all thanks to Kim Kardashian. “The Brutalist” actor recounted to late night host Jimmy Fallon on Monday’s episode of “The Tonight Show” how Kardashian mixed him up with Adam Brody in a message on her Instagram story last month raving...

Harrison Ford is ‘still happy’ he made ‘Indiana Jones 5’ despite underwhelming box office

It takes a lot to make Harrison Ford regret doing a project. This is especially true when it comes to the classic “Indiana Jones” franchise, in which Ford starred as the titular character, including the franchise’s fifth installment, 2023’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” The movie grossed $60...

Ozzy Osbourne to reunite with Black Sabbath for farewell concert

Ozzy Osbourne has announced that the original members of Black Sabbath will play a concert together for the first time in 20 years. In a post on X, Osbourne revealed that he would reunite with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward to play one final show at Villa Park in...