Motivating pupils

As adults, we are all motivated in different ways and the same is true for children.

Some children are highly motivated and take great pleasure in their own success. Others are highly competitive and enjoy gaining greater success than their classmates. Most pupils wish to please the teacher so it is the job of the teacher to encourage all pupils to be proud of their own achievements and to raise self-esteem, so that the pupil continues to give maximum effort and increase personal success.

If a pupil displays a negative attitude to school this could be due to variety of factors both in and out of school. The pupil may have a history of failure and have just 'given up'. Most teachers can recognise and reward success. Failure is more difficult.

It is important that children recognise that making mistakes, is part of the learning process and by developing strategies to rectify their mistakes they will be able to solve them in future. 

• A pupil who constantly fails needs additional support, otherwise his/her self-esteem will be damaged so much that s/he may give up trying.
• It is important to differentiate between the success of the individual, and comparisons with other children of the same age.
• A pupil may be a difficult home life, which leaves no energy for schoolwork, or the family may have a negative attitude towards school.    

It is vital that the teacher is sensitive to the needs of this pupil and by gentle persuasion and encouragement gradually encourages the pupil to reengage with academic activity. 

Some strategies for motivating pupils

Good role model
Teachers who are fair and demonstrate a real concern for the pupils in their care are more likely to have a class, which responds in a positive way. 

Enthusiasm

Children, like adults, are inspired by the enthusiasm of others. Teachers who show a true enthusiasm and interest in their subject are likely to inspire in their pupils a desire to learn the skills and attitudes which will allow them to enjoy these subjects. Exposing pupils to other experts in the field will model these attributes so take them to:

• watch a drama production
• invite an author or artist to speak about their work
• attend a live sporting event.  

Commitment to the job

Concern for the children and getting to know them well as individuals will demonstrate your commitment to know and understanding them:

• make time to talk to them about their individual interests
• find out more about their social and cultural backgrounds
• widening your professional role within the school by taking on responsibilities outside the classroom shows your commitment to the school
• run an after-school club
• volunteer to help with extra curricula activities
• organise a science/arts week.  

Physical environment
It is important to motivate pupils by providing a stimulating and safe environment. This means providing exciting displays, which change regularly, reflect the interests of the pupils and celebrate their work. Try interactive displays which pose questions and inspire children to find out more. 

The classroom should be a place where the pupils feel safe to suggest and try out new ideas knowing that their opinions will be valued. So:

• give children time to think of high-quality answers rather than take the first 'hands-up' 
• value all children’s responses.
  

Planning to motivate pupils

Selecting and designing tasks involves not only a sound understanding of the material to be taught but also matching the level of work to that of the pupils. It is also vital that the subject matter is appropriate for the individuals in the class. So:

• provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on and share their personal experiences and their feelings about the topic being studied (this reassures the pupils and allows the teacher an opportunity to plan appropriate tasks) 
• draw on what pupils already know and can do to stimulate their interest and imagination
• select tasks that are challenging and achievable.   

For effective learning to take place, learners need to understand what they are trying to achieve, and want to achieve it. Understanding and commitment follows when the pupils have some part in deciding goals and identifying criteria for assessment. 

These criteria should be discussed with the pupils, providing examples of how the criteria can be met and engaging the pupils in peer and self-assessment. 

Teaching styles

Children learn in different ways so when planning lessons, use a variety of strategies to cater for different learning styles.

Feedback

The way in which a teacher gives feedback on a pupil’s work has an enormous impact on their motivation. There has been a great deal of research into the impact of feedback on children’s learning and one of the most important findings is that children only focus on marks and ignore the comments that accompany them. Therefore, if the teacher wants the pupil to improve learning s/he should: 

• pinpoint the learner’s strengths and advise how to develop them
• be clear and constructive about any weaknesses and how they might be addresses
• provide opportunities for learners to improve upon their work
  and with a clear understanding of what to do next
• adjust teaching to take account of the results of assessment.   

So, in order to motivate pupils to learn effectively teachers must provide a safe and stimulating environment. Within this setting, the teacher must provide a curriculum which is relevant to them, takes into account their learning needs and builds on their prior knowledge and experience.

Recommended further reading

• Black, P.J. & Wiliam D. (1998b) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment, School of Education, Kings College, London
• Hayes, D. (2004) Foundations of Primary Teaching, David Fulton, London
• Fontana, D (1995) Psychology for Teachers, Macmillan Press, London
• Smith A. (2001) Accelerated Learning In Practice Network Educational Press Ltd, Stafford
  

Useful websites

• http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk

Resources

• Assessment literacy, Pdf document, 447 KB
• Learning a sense-makers guide, Pdf document, 543 KB