The Study
In his book, Motivating Students to Learn, Dr. Jere Brophy, University Distinguished Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, offers teachers principles and strategies to use in motivating their students to learn and achieve intended curricular outcomes. Based upon a review and synthesis of relevant motivational literature, Brophy presents teachers with concepts and principles that can be incorporated into their instructional planning. Strategies presented are designed to help students: (1) reduce their fear of failure or embarrassment; (2) persist in their efforts to achieve success; (3) accept the goals of the classroom; (4) develop the knowledge and skills the classroom activities were intended to develop.

The Findings
An eclectic approach that incorporates intrinsic motivational strategies and extrinsic incentives as well as strategies for motivating students to learn is likely to be much more powerful than a more limited approach. Developmental differences in children's cognitive abilities and motivational needs and interests make certain strategies more or less relevant at particular grade levels. Motivational strategies that merely accommodate students' content or activity preferences do little to develop their motivation to learn. Motivating students to learn means not only stimulating them to take an interest in and see the value of what they are learning, but also providing them with guidance about how to go about learning it. Schooling should be as enjoyable as it can be for both teachers and students, but teachers cannot limit what they teach to those parts of the curriculum that appeal to students; enjoyment doesn't always translate into achieving learning goals.

What It Means to You
Although teachers face numerous motivational challenges in the classroom, there are practical strategies that can be used to: (1) support students' confidence as learners; (2) motivate through extrinsic incentives such as praise and rewards; (3) connect with students' intrinsic motivation; (4) stimulate students' motivation to learn; (5) adapt to the needs of individual students. By teaching for understanding, appreciation and application of the learning, teachers will reinforce the motivation to learn. Teachers who model their own motivation to learn and focus on learning goals rather than performance goals will have a positive influence on shaping students' motivational development. As teachers gain positive perceptions of their motivational efficacy, their confidence and persistence in supporting their students' quest to be motivated to learn will increase.

More Information
You can get more information about motivating students by consulting Brophy, J. (1998), Motivating Students to Learn, New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.

<back to 1997 ed-research reports