Opportunities On Improving Student Motivation At All Levels Of Education

This unique resource provides a wealth of theories and strategies for teachers to help spark students' motivations to learn and succeed beyond their formal schooling years.

Written specifically for teachers, this book offers a wealth of research-based principles for motivating students to learn within the realities of a classroom learning community. Its focus on motivational principles rather than motivational theorists or theories leads naturally into discussions of specific classroom strategies. Throughout the book the author focuses on and expertly synthesizes that portion of the motivational literature that is most relevant to teachers. Key features of this expanded new edition include: *Focus on School and Classroom Realities--The selection and treatment of motivational principles and strategies is constantly tied to the realities of schools (e.g., curriculum goals) and classrooms (e.g., student differences, classroom dynamics). *Integrates Intrinsic and Extrinsic Principles--The author employs an eclectic approach to motivation that shows how to effectively integrate the use of intrinsic and extrinsic strategies. *Covers Expectancy and Value-Related Topics--Full coverage is given to both the expectancy aspects of motivation (attributions, efficacy perceptions, expectations, confidence, etc) and to value-related topics (relevance, meaningfulness, application potential) and to their associated teacher-student dynamics. *New Chapters--Two theories that have spurred much education-related motivational research in recent years (self-determination theory and achievement-goal theory) have been given their own chapters. *Focus on Individual Differences and Problem Learners--Guidelines are provided for adapting motivational principles to group and individual student differences and for doing "repair work" with students who have become discouraged or disaffected learners. *Expanded Topical Coverage--Expanded coverage has been given to several emerging topics, including self-identity concepts, cross-cultural comparisons, situational interest, stereotype threat, and the rediscovery of John Dewey's motivational ideas. *Improved Pedagogy--Chapter and section introductions and summaries provide an unusual degree of continuity across the book, and its second person writing style is more reader friendly than most textbooks. New to this edition are reflection questions at the end of each chapter. This book is appropriate for any course in the undergraduate or graduate teacher education curriculum that is devoted wholly or partly to the study of student motivation.

Higher education is a high stakes process involving engagement with curricula and often entails coping with the onslaught of assessments and examinations. This process creates a level of intensity that impacts on the student experience in higher education. It is, therefore, important to consider not only the motivational aspects of learning but also quality of life issues, as they have profound effects on students. Quality of life affects the way students interact with their formal education, and has wide-reaching effects on future careers and their ability to coordinate everyday events. Integrating these two concepts, student motivation and quality of life, brings together the explicit elements that underpin learning in the higher education context, creating links between the affective and social aspects of the student life. This synthesis is integral to improving student retention and quality of life and has important ramifications for educationalists, administrators, pastoral care and academic support service personnel, and students themselves. Some highlights of the book include: Applied Positive Psychology in Higher Education Internationalisation and Quality of Life: A Taiwanese Perspective The Computer Assisted Learning for the Mind (CALM) Website: Teaching Skills to Increase Resilience The Oxford University Peer Support Programme: Addressing the Wellbeing of Students Higher Education and Student Stress: Reclaiming Light, Liberty and Learning Improving academic quality of life through attribution- and motivation-focused counselling

This is a book about teachers’ classroom motivating styles. Motivating style is the interpersonal tone and face-to-face behavior the teacher relies on when trying to motivate students to engage in classroom activities and procedures. The over-arching goal of the book is to help teachers work through the professional developmental process to learn how to provide instruction in ways that students will find to be motivationally-enriching, satisfying, and engagement-generating. To realize this goal, the book features six parts: Part 1: Introduction, introduces what teachers are to support—namely, student motivation; Part 2: Motivating Style, explains what a supportive motivating style is; Part 3: “How to,” overviews the recommended motivationally-supportive instructional strategies one-by-one and step-by-step; Part 4: Workshop, walks the reader through the skill-building workshop experience; Part 5: Benefits, details all the student, teacher, and classroom benefits that come from an improved motivating style; and Part 6: Getting Started, discusses ways to begin using these skills in the classroom. Based on a successful workshop program run by the authors, teachers successfully improve their classroom motivating style. In doing so, they experience gains in their teaching skill and efficacy, job satisfaction, a renewed passion for teaching, and a more satisfying relationship with their students. This multiauthored book provides teachers with the practical, concrete, step-by-step, skill-based "how to" they need to develop a highly supportive motivating style.

When it comes to motivating people to learn, disadvantaged urban adolescents are usually perceived as a hard sell. Yet, in a recent MetLife survey, 89 percent of the low-income students claimed "I really want to learn" applied to them. What is it about the school environmentâ€"pedagogy, curriculum, climate, organizationâ€"that encourages or discourages engagement in school activities? How do peers, family, and community affect adolescents' attitudes towards learning? Engaging Schools reviews current research on what shapes adolescents' school engagement and motivation to learnâ€"including new findings on students' sense of belongingâ€"and looks at ways these can be used to reform urban high schools. This book discusses what changes hold the greatest promise for increasing students' motivation to learn in these schools. It looks at various approaches to reform through different methods of instruction and assessment, adjustments in school size, vocational teaching, and other key areas. Examples of innovative schools, classrooms, and out-of-school programs that have proved successful in getting high school kids excited about learning are also included.

Be the change that lights the learning fire. Discover how you, as a classroom teacher, can generate enthusiasm, confidence, and joy in your students that will affect their learning and lives. Delve into the what, and why of motivation and how it affects learning. Then, learn how to spark motivation using practical, research-informed strategies that address how to ? Hone student grouping, rewards, technology, and competition for positive impact ? Confront and disarm testing conflicts to make assessments a pleasant student experience ? Examine and empower teacher–student relationships ? Rethink rules and procedures to improve behavioral outcomes

This work brings together the experience of educators, trainers and students searching for ways of increasing student motivation. Links between motivation and training, learning and assessment processes are examined through case studies set in a broad range of subject discipline contexts.