Motivated Teaching
We Empower We Respect We Care
Key Ideas
• Motivation influences behaviour, learning and well being
• When pupils are motivated they pay more attention, put in more effort, persist for longer and are able to work
more independently. Unmotivated pupils get distracted easily, do the bare minimum, require constant cajoling
to stay on task.
• Motivation is complex and a largely unconscious process, to influence we must draw from science
• Motivation is a system for allocating attention based on the best available investment
• Attention is limited. Classrooms can be busy places for the mind. Pupils can only attend to
one thing at a time motivation is the mental system that sifts through the opportunities
available to us and determines which we should attend to, and therefore what we learn.
Pupils will attend to things they value (benefit from), Expectancy (likelihood of attaining the
benefit) and cost (effort) also influence attention. Therefore the opportunity that offers the
greatest value, highest expectancy and lowest cost is what pupils will be most.
• Motivation is a specific response to the situation, not a general characteristic trait
• It is the attractiveness of an opportunity that needs to motivate not the personality of the pupil. A pupil who is
not motivated to learn science may be highly motivated to play minecraft.
• Motivation for learning is something we must actively build by applying 5 core intrinsic drivers
• Extrinsic drivers have fleeting impact and can even have a detrimental effect. Instrinsic drivers include success and
routines (economic in nature- how pupils appraise value, expectancy and cost), norms and belonging (social in
nature- how attitudes and actions influence the appraisal) and buy-in (metacognitive in nature). These drivers are
not a sequence. They do not have to be deployed in any order and it is a long term approach.
Core Drivers for motivated learning (Adapted from Peps Mccrea- Motivated Teaching; Pepsmccrea.com)
Secure Success Clear explanation, precise pitching and granular chunking of knowledge
A firm conviction that success Frame success by modelling what it looks like and what it doesn’t
is likely is needed to increase Influence pupil perception with talk and action: “I believe you can”
expectancy and reduce the Give students a high success rate to look back on
costs of emotional barriers to Help students understand that effort and approach can make a difference
learning Pre-empt failure and celebrate it as an opportunity to learn
Run Routines Make the process of learning easy with behavioural and instructional
Routines increase the ability routines, whilst keeping the content of learning challenging
to attend to learning without Design your own routines by scripting chains (what will your pupils
distractions of process. This do) and designing cues (what will start this chain of action?)
lowers the cost of attention Stick with it
and increase motivation
Nudge Norms Elevate the visibility of desirable norms- getting as many pupils as
In attempting to figure out possible to display the desirable behaviour. What we permit, we
where best to allocate promote
attention, we have evolved to Amplify peer approval e.g. peer shout outs; celebrating as a class an
refer heavily to the behaviour individuals achievement
and attitudes of others- Emphasise what you want to happen, not what you don’t
“social norms”
Signalling status through recognition, inclusion and framing with the
Build belonging language of we and us
Feeling part and identifying Develop a unifying purpose (benefit) and identify common ground
with those exhibiting social Earn and keep trust by demonstrating credibility, care and
norms strengthens motivation consistency
Boost buy-in Expose the benefits of choices you make for your pupils to elevate
For opportunity choice to be attention
motivating it must be Provide opportunities for them to opt in- understand the why and
meaningful explore how it might link to their personal goals and values
Invest in building metamotivation (monitor and regulate our own
motivation) by referring to core drivers and key ideas.
