Teacher-writer Dave Stuart Jr. is among the most interesting and clearest-thinking education authors we have encountered. He writes a popular education blog and his two books, These Six Things: How to Focus Your Teaching on What Matters Most and The Will to Learn are must-reads, in our humble opinion, for any high school educator. In his most recent book, The Will to Learn, Dave offers a concise and coherent theory of student motivation that rings true. Here are a few takeaways from the book:
The purpose of a school is to promote the long-term flourishing of students.
Student demotivation is experienced as pain—for students, parents, and teachers. The good news is student demotivation is not inevitable. Today’s students are just as capable and open to inspiration as those from the past. Instead, student demotivation is the result of modern society’s neglect of several timeless truths:
Every student wants to learn.
The heart is the first and best path to the head. When the heart is all set, the mind is primed for development. Achievement and wellness are co-dependent.
The most powerful strategies for cultivating student motivation are simple.
5 Key Beliefs instill student motivation. The 5 Key Beliefs prepare the heart for learning. They are:
Credibility - I trust my teacher knows what they are doing.
Value - This work, this cause, matters to me, and working on it is important.
Effort - Purposeful practice. If I practice a skill with full effort, seek feedback on what I can do better, and practice again, I will gain mastery.
Efficacy - Achieving learning and skill gains. People gain satisfaction from becoming more skilled.
Belonging - I am doing work I should be doing. My teacher cares about me. Because I am here, this is a better place.
Dave Stuart Jr. represents the interaction between effort and efficacy with what he calls
The Effort-Efficacy Flywheel.
Teachers have a powerful (but not all-powerful) influence on a student’s will to learn.
Meaning is derived from identifying a worthy goal that is recognized by a community, not just yourself. Purpose is the impact you personally have on the goal. Highly effective teachers cultivate meaning and purpose in the work of learning.
Engagement is focused participation in a task.
Intrinsic Motivation is the desire within a person to do the task.
In the words of Dave Stuart Jr., “Engagement is something that can get you through a task, but motivation is something that gets you to a task.”
It is possible, through punishment or reward, to coerce engagement. But, you can't coerce intrinsic motivation. To cultivate intrinsic motivation, we must instill a sense of purpose, encourage students to believe they can achieve mastery, allow them the autonomy to practice until they achieve mastery, and then bestow recognition and respect when students ultimately demonstrate mastery.
Engagement is a worthy pursuit, but it's not as resilient as intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the better target.
Intrinsic Motivation is The Will to Learn.
Intrinsic motivation is the key to perpetual learning. Perpetual learning is the key to the long-term flourishing of students.
In short, this book is full of wisdom and specific tactics that apply to the high school setting that go far beyond the scope of this blog post. We encourage you to read it.
Comments