Students may want to do well because of a love of learning. They may want to do well to please their parents. They may want to do well academically to get a good job in the future.
Public high school students who start out with lower levels of motivation tend to shift and adapt over time, becoming more motivated over their high school careers, Xie said. The study followed 1,670 students at 11 public high schools in central and northeastern Ohio over two consecutive school years.
Motivation was measured by asking students how much statements like these described them: “I go to school because I experience pleasure and satisfaction while learning new things” and “I go to school because I need at least a high school diploma to find a high-paying job later on.”
The study’s finding should give parents hope that younger kids can change their attitude and behaviors, Xie said. “People are complex and malleable. We can do something to change people’s motivation in a positive way,” he said.
The study divided students into six motivation profiles: two of them maladaptive, two of them adaptive and two in the middle. Over time students changed across all profiles. Most often they switched to one of the adjacent profiles. Finding out ways to motivate students can help move them into a better profile, Xie
said.
• Getting older and more developmentally mature helped students realize the need to move in a positive direction in terms of motivation.
• Prior achievement also helps booster motivation. Students who had higher grade point averages the first year were more likely to shift to or remain in profiles characterized by higher levels of academic motivation in year two of the study.
• Students who felt a sense of belonging in school were also motivated to do better. Some factors like prior achievement can’t be changed, but others can.
“The whole school climate can be changed to promote inclusiveness,” Xie said. It’s not even that complicated. Simply asking why a student does not feel they belong can go a long way, he said. Extrinsic motivation helps, too. Think about what gets a student engaged outside of school, Xie said. Parents should encourage their kids to get involved, do well in school and think about their future, he said.
But it’s not just the parents’ or teachers’ job.
“It’s a tricky topic. It starts with autonomy. Let [students] believe it’s their choice,” Xie said. “They may develop the interest versus forcing them to be motivated. Give students the opportunity to succeed.”
His best advice: Be a strong advocate for your student and check in with them often.
