In the Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Element 2.3 suggests that students who feel motivated to study, learn, engage and succeed are more likely to do so. Motivation plays a crucial role in learning, but it is often misunderstood. Rather than seeing motivation as something our students either have or lack, the evidence tells us that it can be influenced by the experiences we create in the classroom.  

Understanding what influences motivation can help us make more informed decisions about how we support learning.  

What the research says…

The Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review draws on Deci and Ryan's (2008) self-determination theory, which distinguishes between:  

• Autonomous motivation, where students engage because they see value and purpose in their learning;  

• Controlled motivation, where behaviour is driven primarily by rewards, pressure, or the desire to avoid negative consequences. 

The motivation we feel towards a particular task is not fixed; it can change over time. We often rely on different forms of motivation at different stages of a learning journey.  

However, building more autonomous motivation is likely to support students' wellbeing, engagement, and success. The Evidence Review highlights three key factors that help foster autonomous motivation: 

• Autonomy – feeling a sense of choice and ownership over learning, and believing that what you are doing has value and purpose 

• Competence – feeling capable of success, making progress, and having the skills needed to meet challenges 

• Relatedness – feeling connected to, respected by, and supported by teachers and peers 

When these needs are met, students are more likely to engage with learning, persist through difficulties, and invest effort in improving their understanding. 

 Signs you might want to work on motivation

• Students give up quickly when work becomes challenging 

• Participation is limited to a small number of students 

• Students are reluctant to contribute ideas or take risks in their learning 

• Students frequently ask, 'Why are we doing this?' 

• Effort drops when tasks require sustained thinking 

These are often signals to listen more closely to students' voices. The language they use and the questions they ask can provide valuable clues about how confident they feel, whether they see value in the learning, and how motivated they are to engage with it. 

Classroom strategies to consider
 
1.Building Autonomy

Offering purposeful choices can help students feel more invested in their learning. As you plan your next lesson, consider where you could build in a meaningful choice.  

Meaningful choice:  

• Allow students to choose how they approach a task (e.g. strategy, resources)  

• Offer options for how they demonstrate learning (e.g. presentation, poster, written response)  

• Give students some choice over the order they complete tasks or activities  

• Where appropriate, allow students to choose who they work with  

• Ensure all options lead to the same learning outcome and maintain high expectations 

Keep it to 2-3 structured options. The goal is not unlimited choice, but to help students experience ownership.  

2. Building Competence

Students build competence when they experience success through clear expectations, feedback, and appropriate challenge. Consider where structured support could help build confidence before independent work. 

I do, We do, You do: 

• I do: model the process, skill, or task clearly, making your thinking visible as you work through it.  

• We do: complete a similar example together, using prompts, questions, and scaffolds to guide students' thinking.  

• You do: ask students to apply the same process independently, gradually removing support as confidence grows.  

• Check for understanding regularly and provide specific feedback that helps students recognise their progress and next steps.  

The goal is not to make everything feel easy, but achievable through strategy and effort.  

3. Building Relatedness

Building relatedness means helping students feel connected to their teacher, peers, and learning environment. Create regular opportunities to show genuine interest in students' experiences and perspectives. 

Purposeful check-ins 

• Greet students positively and use their names  

• Make time for brief conversations about their interests and experiences  

• Plan in opportunities for all students to contribute  

• Actively listen and acknowledge students' views  

• Celebrate effort, collaboration, and progress  

Consistency matters more than grand gestures. The aim is to help students feel seen, valued, and supported.  

Supporting motivation is not about making every lesson entertaining or every task enjoyable. It is about creating classroom experiences that help students see value in their learning, believe they can succeed, and feel that they belong. 

You can explore these strategies in more depth in our Dimension 2 course within the Great Teaching Toolkit. You can also gather feedback from students and colleagues while accessing hundreds of practical resources and classroom techniques to support your practice.  

 References

Coe, R., Rauch, C. J., Kime, S., & Singleton, D. (2020). Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence review. Evidence Based Education. https://evidencebased.education/the-great-teaching-toolkit-evidence-review/

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), 182–185. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0012801