Motivation Is Overlooked

Hey 👋

The weekend is approaching fast… but first, a new series on one of my fav topics: motivation for learning.

Big idea 🍉

As a profession, we obsess over instruction. We research it, refine it, and debate it endlessly. But even the best teaching falls flat without one vital ingredient: motivation.

Motivation to learn is a big deal in school… much bigger than we tend to assume (or at least our actions suggest).

Even when we control for prior attainment and attendance, there’s a significant positive relationship between motivation and achievement. And gaps in international test scores are partly explained by differences in motivation levels.

You only have to think of your most and least driven students to see this in action.

Motivation is almost as important as instruction in school. And yet, this rarely seems to be reflected in our practice. Compared with instruction, we spend less time talking about motivation, have fewer dedicated strategies to support it, and rarely try to measure it.

In short, in school: motivation is overlooked.

This neglect may help explain why, for the average student, motivation levels steadily decline throughout school (especially during adolescence).

One reason we, as a profession, don’t yet have a strong handle on motivation is that it’s a largely unconscious process. We’re not always aware of its presence or how it works.

(FYI the evidence base is not as strong either)

The good news is that motivation is something we CAN influence. In coming snacks, we’ll look at what motivation is (and isn’t), the biggest levers we can pull to boost it, and some common misconceptions about how it works.

Now, it’s important to be clear: motivation alone isn’t enough. It’s only as powerful as the quality of instruction it brings to life. Without motivation, great teaching is wasted. But with it, the impact can be profound.

🎓 For more, check out this longitudinal study on motivation in school.

Summary

• Motivation is a big deal in school, almost as important as instruction.

• However, its importance is not always reflected in our actions.

• The fact that 'motivation is overlooked’ is one reason why student drive tends to decline throughout school.

Little updates 🥕

• Study testing feedback framed with high expectations and confidence → finds it makes teachers give more honest, constructive feedback to students.

• Special issue on resilience in learning → provides overview of current state of research around student resilience in schools and impact on outcomes.

• Paper on learning via podcasts → finds they strongly boost understanding and retention, showing podcasts can effectively support teaching and learning.

• Guide exploring shared reading in early childhood → finds it strengthens thinking and emotion skills that build self-regulation and school readiness.

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