Motivation: Why are some students not motivated to learn?
By Louiza Mark
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 8, 2009
It is interesting when teachers react to students who are not participating and who are not engaged. The initial reaction is to consider them to be lazy and not inspired to learn. The truth is that the majority of the students who are not engaged are actually dealing with issues more important than school.
This in effect, means that their schooling is not a top priority in their lives. Many students have emotional, familial, social, financial, and health issues that are taking over their lives. Because of these phenomena that they are dealing with they seem to be not motivated. But the reality of their situation is that they are preoccupied with other more important situations in their lives.
There is of course the reality that there are students who genuinely do not care for school and therefore are not motivated. But for the most part, students who are not motivated have some underlying issues that need attention first, and then they can adjust and focus on school.
The other major reason why I feel that students are not motivated is the teacher. Many teachers do not take the necessary interest in their lessons and merely put together the basic knowledge that students need into a “lesson plan”. We have all encountered a class that was totally boring and even though we were great students, we were not motivated because the teacher made the course boring. Teachers need to take the blame sometimes for their students’ not being motivated. The reality is that teaching and learning is a two-way street and both parties involved in the process should share the burden of maintaining motivation at high levels.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 8, 2009
It is interesting when teachers react to students who are not participating and who are not engaged. The initial reaction is to consider them to be lazy and not inspired to learn. The truth is that the majority of the students who are not engaged are actually dealing with issues more important than school.
This in effect, means that their schooling is not a top priority in their lives. Many students have emotional, familial, social, financial, and health issues that are taking over their lives. Because of these phenomena that they are dealing with they seem to be not motivated. But the reality of their situation is that they are preoccupied with other more important situations in their lives.
There is of course the reality that there are students who genuinely do not care for school and therefore are not motivated. But for the most part, students who are not motivated have some underlying issues that need attention first, and then they can adjust and focus on school.
The other major reason why I feel that students are not motivated is the teacher. Many teachers do not take the necessary interest in their lessons and merely put together the basic knowledge that students need into a “lesson plan”. We have all encountered a class that was totally boring and even though we were great students, we were not motivated because the teacher made the course boring. Teachers need to take the blame sometimes for their students’ not being motivated. The reality is that teaching and learning is a two-way street and both parties involved in the process should share the burden of maintaining motivation at high levels.
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