Why do I go to school?The central role of motivation in education

Chris ChestermanQuest Psychology CIC

Catalyst PsychologyInclusion Matters Conference 2015

coverage•Motivation - what is it?•What do we know about it and why is it important?•What can we do to enhance it?• Implications for each of us

message

‘Motivation’ lies at the conceptual crossroads between the cognitive and affective aspects of learning. It plays a central role in the emotional health and wellbeing of all pupils – and school staff.

evidence base……?

“I think of myself as being engaged in motivational research – every morning I wonder why I go to school” (anon)

your motivation- 5 whys

• Why do you do the work that you do?Response: because....• 1. Why…….Response:• 2. Why…….Response:• 3. Why…….Response:• 4. Why.......Response:• 5. Why .......Response:

movers and blockers

What undermines that motivation?

What would make it more motivating?

words about motivation...............

related concepts?

• Does it contribute to or result from academic resilience or buoyancy? (see: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/academic_resilience) • Is it an aspect of ‘character’ – or even ‘grit’?!?• Central to metacognitive processes?• Does it have to accompany ‘perseverance’ and ‘persistence’?• Can it be taught?

so, what is it?

•An awareness of the drive to succeed and grow?

•The essence of creativity, self-determination and independence in learning?

a cognitive perspective…….

“A motive is nothing but the conative or affective aspect of a schema claiming its normal nourishment, that is, objects which it can assimilate; and interest is the affective relation between the motive and the object that may satisfy it” (Piaget 1959)

why is this stuff important?

• UK bottom of world’s 21 richest countries for childhood wellbeing. US slightly ahead.

2007 UNICEF report

• “Children in England among the unhappiest in the world with life and school”2015 Children’s Society international survey

• “England's children are struggling heavily with low self-esteem and rank among the least satisfied with their lives in the world”

Swiss charity Jacobs Foundation (Young Minds bulletin 2015)

Evidence….

what do we know about it?

•Intrinsic v extrinsic theories •Neuroscientific aspects•Flow and flourishing•Learning and wellbeing

intrinsic motivation

• The wish to do it for its own sake - “our innate desire to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things and to do better by ourselves and the world” (Pink 2009)• Flourishes in a climate that fosters creativity and divergent thinking• Supports and is supported by appropriate levels of internal locus of

control and sense of purpose (Ryan and Deci 2000)• Undermined by regular evaluation and surveillance, a strong focus on

extrinsic rewards and outcomes, competition and the limited use of methods (Amabile 2001)

extrinsic motivation

• Carrots and sticks? - contingency based management• May reduce exploratory behaviour, risk taking and so creativity• Need constant upgrading for impact (McLean 2005) - a “caffeine like”

effect (Deci 1969)However:• Positive social recognition effects?• Benefits of extrinsic reinforcement of creativity (Deci & Ryan 2008 in

Halpern 2014)

neuroscience and motivation

• Relationship between amygdala and pre-frontal cortex• Boredom and frustration impacts on processing of data into memory• Interest and motivation resulting in processing of information via higher

cognitive functions• Role of dopamine in facilitating greater exploratory behaviour• Known impacts of training in mindfulness on self-regulatory behaviour,

enjoyment – activation and ongoing engagement of the pre-frontal cortex (Ireland 2014)

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The concept of ‘flow’

FLOW

The optimal state of intrinsic motivation. You’re so involved in what you’re doing, you aren’t thinking about yourself as separate from the immediate activity. You’re no longer a participant observer, only a participant. You’re moving in harmony with something else you’re part of.

Flow zone

Dweck’s theory of motivation

Fixed IQ v Untapped Potential (‘growth mindset’) theorists

motivation orientation

The ‘pushes and pulls’ of your motivation orientation•Need for success v need to avoid failure• Learning-goal orientated v performance-goal oriented•Achievement through challenging activities v

engagement in simple tasks

(Dweck and Leggett 1988)

consider this……………………………..•What is the most motivating activity for children and young people today?

•What are the characteristics of this activity that make it motivating?

•What might the implications of this be for learning in school?

And this...............

•Jo is “unmotivated” – why might this be?

• ....and the impacts?

• ...and the remedies?

Think Maslow and reptiles

• “The question is not whether young people can be persuaded to learn. It is what stops them, or puts them off learning” (Claxton, 2008)

• Not interested in X• Is interested in X but has other priorities• Is interested in X but not doing it THAT way• Lacks confidence, expects to fail, better not to try• Pre-occupied, anxious, upset etc. etc.

And....(McLean)

• See school as impersonal and uncaring – lack of belonging• Parents uninterested/hostile to school• Weak connection between effort in school and futures/interests• Feel effort is not recognised• Weak/hostile relationships with staff• Poor differentiation• Control/reward and sanction culture• Stressed staff and pupils

Motivation – learning and wellbeing

• Stress and learning

• Autonomy and involvement

• The learning environment

• Developing metacognition

motivation and academic resilience• Motivation as a set of predictors (the 5 Cs): • Confidence (self-efficacy)• Co-ordination (planning)• Control (low level of uncertain control)• Composure (low anxiety)• Commitment (persistence)

• (Martin & Marsh 2006 in Smith 2015)

Adaptive dimensions of motivation….Academic ‘buoyancy’ built upon enjoyment (cognitive-affective), participation (behavioural) and self-esteem (global affective), itself determined through the development of: • Self-efficacy• Valuing of school• Mastery orientation• Persistence• Planning• Study management

(Martin 2002 in Smith 2015)

What can we do to enhance it?

National Healthy School Standard (DoH/DfES 2004) - promoting emotional health and wellbeing – enjoyment of learning and being successful• Appropriate expectations• Progression• Facilitating enquiry, creativity, group problem solving• Providing for learning styles• Involve pupils in assessment for learning• Give them the skills

And...(McLean part 2)

• “...the trick is not to motivate pupils to achieve but to provide learning opportunities that are motivating”

• Build:

1. Engagement2. Structure3. Stimulation4. Feedback

Key points...........

• Features that• Communicate to learners how much/well they are learning• Value all learners equally• Encourage the making of mistakes as good opportunities for learning• Permit engagement with learners via positive learning opportunities not by virtue of authority• She structure moves deliberately from directedness towards independence• A curriculum that is fun, achievable, that has an exploratory and curiosity element and encourages open questioning, • • • Classroom• Maximises pupil's assets• Helps shape learners how they think (positively) about their own ability• That has a clear focus on how they approach their learning• Helps learners make sense of the progress they are making, encouraging a 'growth mindset'• Develops learners feelings of competence and so intrinsic motivation• Helps learners develop a feel good factor about their learning - "self-efficacy in goal achievement".

enhancing motivation……

…as independence in learning through developing the desire to learn

• Autonomy, identity and grounded-ness in thinking and sensory experience – P4C, Chasing Ideas, a “Thinking Aloud Co-operative” (Durham 2006)• Successful learner approaches (Pardoe 2009)• ‘Relaxed alertness’ – (Caine & Caine 1994)• Pupil-pupil learning• ‘Metacognitive reflectiveness’ – developing PME and the vocabulary of

learning

Motivation and chasing ideas• Playing with ideas• Loving ideas• Maximising curiosity• Instilling confidence• Developing perceptiveness and awareness• Modelling reflectiveness• Magical words• Active listening• Open questioning• Ideas in stories

Motivation and dynamic assessment

• Motivating via assessment – looking for the best and ‘what’s next’

• How to help the child within their zone of proximal development: “ not how the child came to be what it is, but how it can come to what it not yet is” (Leontiev 1977)

• What are the most favourable conditions?• A solution focused, flourishing approach• Favouring a ‘growth mindset’ (Dweck)

Mindfulness in schools

• “A core skill...Mindfulness in schools has a promising evidence base” (Weare/NCB, 2015)• Developing ‘mental muscles’ through mindful practice and discussion

– a different relationship with difficult thoughts• Learning ‘here and now awareness’ – applying it in everyday life• As with (and connected to) motivation: at the crossroads of cognitive and affective aspects ofLearning – resilience building

Individual level

• Self-esteem• Locus of control• Sense of self as a learner• Self determination and efficacy• Goal orientation• Curiosity

• Assessing what a lack of any of these may be communicating and differentiating accordingly – personalised learning approaches

What next for each of us?

• Discuss and propose from each of your groups two aspects of practice to develop at each of these levels:

• Whole school

• Class

• individual

Test........................

1. Mihaly C...................(spell his name)

Csikszentmihalyi

References • Amabile T.M. (2001) Beyond Talent: John Irving and the passionate craft of creativity. American Psychologist, 56, 333-336

• Claxton G. (2008 ) What’s the Point of School? Rediscovering the Heart of Education. Oxford. Oneworld.

• Deci E.L. & Ryan R.M. (2008) Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological wellbeing across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology, 49(1), 14-23

• DoH/DfES (2004) Promoting emotional health and wellbeing through the National Healthy School Standard. London

• Durham C. (2006) Chasing Ideas: the fun of freeing your child’s imagination. London. Jessica Kingsley.

• Dweck, C. S. (1999) Self Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. Hove: Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis Group.

• Education Endowment Foundation (2015) Teaching and Learning Toolkit https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/toolkit-a-z/

• Gilbert I. (2013) Essential Motivation in the Classroom. 2nd Edition. Routledge

• Halpern D. (2014) Thought and Knowledge – an introduction to critical thinking. New York. Psychology Press

• Ireland T. (2014) What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do to Your Brain? Scientific American June 2014

• Lauchlan F. & Carrigan D. (2013) Improving Learning through Dynamic Assessment. London: Jessica Kingsley.

• McLean A. (2005) Submission to the Inquiry into Pupil Motivation. Scottish Parliament Education Committee. Edinburgh

• Martin (2002) Motivation and academic resilience. Australian Journal of Education 46(1), 34-49

• Martin A.J. & Marsh H.W. (2006) academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates . Psychology in the Schools 43(3), 267-281

• Pardoe D. (2009) Towards Successful Learning. 2nd edition. London. Bloomsbury

• Pink D. (2009) Drive, the surprising truth about what motivates us. Edinburgh, Canongate

• Ryan R. & Deci E. (2000) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67

• Smith M. (2015) From adversity to buoyancy. The Psychologist, 28(9) 718-721