Igniting motivation

Motivation is not something we give students, it is something we ignite within them. As educators, especially those preparing to serve students with diverse developmental needs, understanding the “why” behind student engagement is essential. Motivation grows when students feel safe, capable, and connected. Our beliefs and behaviors as educators can lift students toward success, or unintentionally hold them back. Below is research-backed insight designed to help us nurture motivation intentionally, compassionately, and effectively.

🔹Understanding the Foundations of Student Motivation

Developing strong student motivation begins with understanding the foundational needs that all learners bring into the classroom. Teachers preparing to work with students who have diverse developmental, academic, and sociocultural backgrounds must be intentional about how they cultivate motivation. According to Ormrod, Anderman, and Anderman (2024), three basic human needs must be met for students to develop intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When teachers meet these needs consistently, students feel empowered, capable, and connected, three conditions that dramatically increase engagement and persistence.

Autonomy supports motivation by giving students meaningful choices in their learning. When students feel that their voices matter, they take greater ownership of tasks and become more engaged (PositivePsychology.com, n.d.). Without autonomy, however, students may shut down, feel controlled, act out, or disengage academically. Competence involves a student’s belief in their ability to be successful. When teachers offer scaffolded instruction, clear expectations, and opportunities for mastery, students develop the confidence needed to persist through challenges (Ormrod et al., 2024). Conversely, when competence is undermined by lack of support, overwhelming tasks, or inconsistent feedback, students may experience anxiety, avoidance, or fear of failure. Relatedness, the need to feel connected and valued, influences whether students trust the learning environment. Strong relationships foster belonging and encourage academic risk-taking, while unmet relatedness can leave students feeling isolated or emotionally withdrawn.

Meeting these three foundational needs is essential. When autonomy, competence, and relatedness are intentionally prioritized, students feel seen, supported, and intrinsically motivated to succeed in the classroom (TED, 2021).

Sociocultural & Cognitive Influences on Classroom Motivation

Beyond basic needs, student motivation is shaped by sociocultural and cognitive influences that affect how learners interpret and engage with classroom experiences. Students bring their languages, cultural beliefs, family expectations, community norms, and prior academic experiences into the learning environment. Research shows that these sociocultural variables directly impact how students view learning, respond to feedback, and experience success (Digital Promise, n.d.). For example, students from households emphasizing collectivism may be more motivated by group harmony and cooperation than by individual competition. Others may face socioeconomic barriers such as limited access to academic preparation, unstable schedules, or family responsibilities, all of which can influence motivation and classroom engagement (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2019).

Cognitive factors—including working-memory capacity, processing speed, developmental readiness, and executive functioning—also influence motivation. When tasks exceed a student’s cognitive load or developmental stage, students may appear unmotivated even though the barrier is neurological, not behavioral (Ormrod et al., 2024). These difficulties can lead to frustration, learned helplessness, or task avoidance.

Teachers can address these factors through culturally responsive instruction, scaffolding, and explicit modeling. By integrating students’ lived experiences, languages, and cultures into lessons, educators cultivate a positive learning climate (Harvard GSE, 2019). Chunking information, using visual supports, providing sentence frames, and allowing processing time can reduce cognitive overload and increase competence. When students feel both cognitively supported and culturally affirmed, their motivation and willingness to persist strengthen significantly (TED, 2021).

Motivation grows in environments where students are understood holistically—both as cultural beings and as cognitive learners.

Teacher Attributes, Motivation Strategies & Home–School Partnerships

Teacher beliefs and behaviors play a critical role in shaping student motivation. Educators who hold high expectations demonstrate genuine belief in their students’ capabilities. These teachers model enthusiasm, use engaging instructional strategies, and acknowledge effort—all of which promote intrinsic motivation (Ormrod et al., 2024). For example, teachers who provide meaningful feedback and highlight growth communicate that learning is a process, not a fixed ability (PositivePsychology.com, n.d.). Similarly, teachers who use relevant examples, hands-on activities, and choice-based tasks increase student ownership and participation. These actions directly support autonomy and competence.

In contrast, certain teacher behaviors can unintentionally hinder motivation. Low expectations communicate to students that they are not capable of success, reducing persistence and self-efficacy (Harvard GSE, 2019). Overreliance on lecture, rigid instructional routines, or deficit-based language can also disengage learners, especially those with diverse cultural or developmental needs. When students sense judgment or inconsistency, their relatedness needs may be compromised, resulting in withdrawal or negative behaviors.

Teachers can improve student motivation at school and home through three research-supported strategies:

  1. Choice-Based Learning: Offering structured choices increases autonomy and fosters intrinsic motivation (Ormrod et al., 2024).

  2. Growth-Mindset Modeling: Language such as “You’re improving” or “Let’s try a new strategy” promotes competence, resilience, and a mastery-oriented mindset (PositivePsychology.com, n.d.).

  3. Family Partnership: Encouraging families to engage in brief learning conversations at home—such as discussing a new vocabulary word during dinner or practicing counting in the car—strengthens relatedness and reinforces school concepts (Digital Promise, n.d.).

When teachers intentionally align their beliefs, strategies, and communication practices with students’ needs, motivation flourishes across home and school environments.

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Thank you for leading with heart, purpose, and presence.
Together, we rise so our students can too.

— Skye Hansen Long