Designing Learning experiences that motivates

 

Key Learning Points on Motivation

1. Autonomy enhances intrinsic motivation

  • When learning tasks connect to students’ values or interests, motivation shifts from extrinsic (“I must”) to intrinsic (“I want to”).

  • Providing meaningful choices increases students’ sense of ownership, which aligns with Self-Determination Theory (SDT)—autonomy supports deeper engagement.

  • Autonomy-rich environments help students enter a state of flow, where learning feels pleasurable and self-driven.

2. Belonging strengthens relatedness and emotional safety

  • Motivation increases when students feel recognised as individuals rather than grouped or labelled.

  • Small interactions—greetings, personal stories, shared memories—build relatedness, a core psychological need in SDT.

  • A strong sense of belonging supports persistence, risk-taking, and willingness to struggle through challenges.

3. Competence grows through realistic expectations and scaffolding

  • Students are more motivated when they believe they can succeed—this reflects Expectancy-Value Theory, where expectancy (“I can do this”) is a key driver of effort.

  • Scaffolding within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) supports readiness by ensuring tasks are appropriately challenging.

  • Competence also depends on the student’s internal state: some rely on classroom learning as a safe space when home environments are unstable, influencing their motivation and cognitive bandwidth.

4. Value and cost shape student decision-making

  • According to Expectancy-Value Theory, students judge not only the value of a task but also its cost (effort, emotional load, time).

  • Clear explanations of relevance (“What can I get out of this?”) help increase perceived value.

  • Minimising unnecessary cognitive load reduces perceived cost, making learning more inviting.

5. PCK is essential for motivating learning

  • Contextual knowledge helps teachers read learners’ backgrounds and tailor experiences that feel meaningful.

  • General pedagogy supports attention, processing, and engagement—key ingredients for maintaining motivation.

  • Subject-matter expertise (SCK) ensures tasks are designed to be understandable, appropriately challenging, and intellectually rewarding, supporting both competence and intrinsic motivation.

6. Motivation arises from the interplay of Autonomy, Belonging, and Competence

  • These three needs are interdependent:

    • Autonomy activates interest.

    • Belonging creates emotional grounding.

    • Competence builds confidence and persistence.

  • When all three are met, students experience sustained, self-driven motivation rather than conditional compliance.

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