3 Strategies to Build Motivation in Students: Ways to stay motivated for the long haul

By Dr. Marina Heifetz, C.Psych

Academic journey can feel like a long haul. Some students like it more than others. Given the online learning experiences during the pandemic, along with other stressors that continue to impact our lives, students have experienced a shift in how they learn. Many of my clients have shared their lack of motivation for school and their tendency to procrastinate with assignments. There are some great, evidence-based strategies that may help build some motivation for these students. Here are three that may help get you started:

1)     Cultivate mastery-oriented self-talk

In psychology research there is a theory called self-attribution, which explores the differences between a helpless orientation (intelligence is unchangeable, this is the way I am) and incremental/ mastery orientation (effort expanded). When we approach learning from a place of “Well, I am just really bad at this,” it creates a sense of helplessness and breaks down motivation. In comparison, approaching learning from a place of “I’ll keep trying” has an impact on outlook and motivation.

What are some real-world ramifications of these self-attributions? Research shows that those students that are taught incremental intelligence (in other words, brain is plastic and we can change our abilities) tend to show more motivation and improvement in grades. Caregivers and teachers can help by focusing on how much effort the child has put in and exploring what self-talk they can engage in (“I worked hard and my effort paid off” versus “I did well because I am so smart”). When we simply focus on the idea “I am so smart,” the message the child may learn if they do not succeed is “Well, I did not do as well here, so I must be stupid.” In other words, the way that we praise others matters as it can impact the way one views themself and one’s core identity.

2)     The 360 Thinking

The “360 Thinking executive function model and program,” developed by Kristen Jacobsen and Sarah Ward, helps teach the “how” skills that many students may lack when approaching tasks. Based on this model, students begin a project or assignment by making a plan of what the final product will visually look like. That is, students imagine looking into a crystal ball to see the “future” and to describe in detail how the final project will look, sound, and feel.

Multisensory learning has been shown to be of great value in solidifying learning and information processing abilities, so why not practice these skills in our mind? To build further motivation for this, students are also asked how they would feel when their project is accomplished. These building blocks then lead students to draw their “vision” and then work backwards by breaking down steps to achieve this vision. Students continue to use visualization here, such as having coloured aids to represent “done” (red), “do” (green), and “get ready” (yellow).

To stay motivated and on-task, students ask themselves three goal-oriented planning questions: (1) “What will it look like when I am done?” (2) “What steps do I need to take to match my done image?” and (3) “What materials will I need?”

3)     Connect back to values to build intrinsic motivation

Research tells us that to build motivation it helps to have specific values and goals in mind. Having goal-oriented thoughts helps us stay on track and ask ourselves “Where do I want to go?” and “What is important to me?”

While sometimes having some extrinsic rewards (e.g., treating ourselves to a dessert or a movie after completing our tasks) can be of help, it is important to foster motivation from within. This may be done through exploration of what matters and bringing it back to taking the concrete steps toward this direction. Caregivers and teachers can provide some visuals and examples of values that children and youth can reflect on to help guide them back to what is important and building specific goals that help work toward these values.

As Russ Harris puts it, “Waiting until you ‘feel’ like doing something is like putting the cart before the horse. Don’t rely on feelings, rely on values. Let them be your motivation.”

This article was also published at Psychology Today at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/raising-mindful-kids/202211/3-strategies-build-motivation-in-students