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Motivation is the desire and energy that guides thinking and behavior. When students are motivated, they become more engaged in their learning, increasing their problem-solving, and reasoning. Children need to be challenged just enough to be engaged and motivated: they will often lose motivation when a task is too easy, but also when it is so difficult that they feel it cannot be completed. Later in childhood, Motivation becomes increasingly multidimensional, breaking into many aspects including social and academic goals, expectations of success, and mastery, a desire to learn skills for the sake of competence.
Motivation is a complex concept that varies by person and context. One important distinction is between intrinsic Motivation, the desire to learn and accomplish goals because they are inherently satisfying and personally rewarding, and extrinsic Motivation, the desire to learn and accomplish goals because of external rewards/recognition or to avoid a negative consequence. Although rewards can actually reduce a students' intrinsic Motivation to learn in some cases, like when the external reward is more salient than the internal reason for engaging. Yet in early childhood when the foundation for academic learning habits are being built, some forms of rewards can also be motivating. For instance, positive feedback can draw children's attention to their competence, supporting intrinsic Motivation. It is common for students to be driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. For example, a child may not be intrinsically interested in a specific assignment but may also be motivated to do well for a related long-term goal, like getting good grades. Another way to understand Motivation is to think of it as a product of a learner's expectations for success and their value of the task.
Research has demonstrated extrinsic Motivation can reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD, including aspects of Attention and Short-term Memory. In addition, students with ADHD and learning disabilities may need additional support to maintain Motivation in different contexts, which can in turn support their executive functioning.
Some important concepts that impact Motivation include:
The celebration and acknowledgement of culture and Identity can also play an important role in the processes of academic Motivation. Educators should be aware of the importance of providing environments that are responsive, connect learning to backgrounds and interests, and work towards creating an atmosphere of trust, to support students in fully engaging and having agency in their learning.
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