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Student Motivation


"The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people." K. Patricia Cross

Motivation should create a desire, a need for participation in learning. It affects the cognitive processes. Motivation enhances performance and this feeds self-esteem, and this in turn strengthens the desire to learn deeper, better, constantly and consistently. Motivation directs student behavior towards particular goals. The challenge of student motivation is a pervasive and increasingly problematic barrier to personal student success and to the effectiveness of progressive schools and colleges, which look beyond just examination results. Today, teachers and parents "offer" education, but many students are not buying what is being offered.

Ennui on the faces of most students, erratic attendance, un-submitted homework or assignments, teachers racing to complete programmes of work, this is the current scenario in schools, not only in India, but all over the world. There are too many competitors for a child's or young person's attention. But apathy and disinterest keep our students away from the rewards offered and assured through diligence, perseverance and self-belief.

In our examination driven goals of teaching and learning we give priority to extrinsic motivation. This approach bases motivation on external factors; e.g. prizes, rewards, promotions, admission to the best colleges. Apart from creating stress in both teacher and taught, constantly teaching and studying for the test fails to motivate the large majority of students or to bring about real learning.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, requires conditions for creativity, innovation and the opportunity to solve problems. It is the surest path to excellence. Students who are intrinsically motivated perform well because they love the learning itself and enjoy every step it takes to achieve mastery. Here learning is the motivator and the reward itself. The rich environs of a school that encourages experimentation and freedom of thought and opinion feed motivation. For the long run, it is intrinsic motivation which gets students to set individual goals, which will sustain their interest and help them to understand and make sense of the world around them.

Self-directed learning is the key to being intrinsically motivated and performing well. This task can no longer be just the teacher's responsibility. Relevant content, stimulation of curiosity, prompt and positive feedback will enhance effort and energy. Being constantly involved in the learning process will bring about and enhance intrinsic motivation and a disposition for success. Therefore, each student becomes her own teacher!

Goal setting and leadership are two sides of the same coin. For this reason, we believe that at Indus, students must use their inherent spirit of inquiry, their curiosity for finding answers to motivate them into becoming leaders. Greater active participation in the learning process through inquiry, discussion, debate and collaborative learning will point the way to successful learning.

Activities such as athletic teams and musical and dramatic arts, which are mechanisms for feeling successful and making progress, are

"extracurricular" activities rather than "curricular" ones. Parent involvement and interest must be regular and contributive, never demanding and unrealistic. Both parent and teacher must emphasize mastery and learning rather than grades. There is no magic formula required or available, genuine faith in each student or child and her potential is the greatest spur to involvement, effort and achievement.

(This is the essence of the message brought to newly elected Leaders of The Indus Student Council at Bangalore, by Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray (Retd.), CEO of the Indus Trust on the occasion of The Ceremony of Investiture on January 26th, 2012)

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Date: 03/29/2024

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