Teaching & Learning in a Pandemic: Spring 2021

Sample Lesson - Motivating Students in a Pandemic

By TA Ellin Heidgerken

Reflect: How are you motivated? What motivates you? What takes away your motivation?

Learning Target 1

Readers will be able to explain what student motivation is, what influences it, and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Learning Target 2

Readers will be able to describe how COVID-19 has affected student motivation.

2.1: Students are more motivated when they are being challenged.

2.2: Students are more motivated at school in the correct learning environment.

2.3: Taking breaks and moving around can be helpful to regain motivation.

M O T I V A T I O N : the general desire or willingness of someone to do something

Student motivation is the willingness of students to do their school work and participate in school related activities. Highly-motivated students are more willing to complete assignments and activities, while students with lower motivation levels might not be as willing to participate.

Motivation is a complex topic with many facets. Many factors can influence student motivation in the classroom. These factors can include things like teachers, curriculum, family stability, friendships and relationships formed at school, and learning environment (4). One major factor of motivation is whether students are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated (Corpus & Wormington, 2014).

I N T R I N S I C V S E X T R I N S I C M O T I V A T I O N

All students are either intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Whether students are intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated does not affect their levels of motivated, but what motivates them (Corpus & Wormington, 2014). Students of all ages have motivation styles somewhere on the spectrum between intrinsic and extrinsic. View the profiles of two students below to see what each type of motivation may look like.

Thomas

Thomas is an extrinsically motivated student, which means he is motivated by factors outside of himself (Corpus & Wormington, 2014). This may include rewards, praise, or avoidance of punishment. For example, Thomas is more likely to play soccer in order to win a trophy or praise from his peers rather than for the love of soccer itself (Cherry, 2020). Thomas is mostly motivated to study in order to get good grades (Cherry, 2020). Thomas' motivation comes from the world around him rather than within himself.

Katie

Katie is an intrinsically motivated student, which means she is motivated by factors from within herself (Corpus & Wormington, 2014). This may include participating in activities for the love of the activity or how it makes her feel rather than an external reward (Cherry, 2020). For example, Katie is more likely to play soccer for the love of soccer itself rather than to win a trophy or praise (Cherry, 2020). Katie is mostly motivated to study because it interests her or makes her feel accomplished.

So...are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Or somewhere in the middle? Leave a comment talking about where you fall on the spectrum on the Padlet below (scroll to see all columns, must be in preview mode):

C O V I D - 1 9 A N D M O T I V A T I O N

Many agree that staying motivated during a worldwide pandemic has proven to be very difficult (Brody, 2020). Whether working or learning from home, or continuing to go to work during this dangerous time, there are more distractions now than ever. Young students certainly feel the same. Earlier, when defining motivation, it was said that distractions and learning environment have a huge effect on motivation. Virtual learning during COVID-19 has placed students in completely different learning environments, many times without a teacher present. Added distractions of learning from home certainly have a negative effect on the motivation of students.

I N T E R V I E W

I had the privilege of interviewing my mother, Chris Heidgerken, regarding the subject of motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris works as a part time tutor for a single student (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021). Her student spends two days per week at school and three days learning from home (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021). Chris assists her while she is working virtually (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021). The student is a highly motivated, extrinsically motivated individual who works hard but can struggle to focus in her new virtual environment (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021). I often heard my mother wondering what she could do to keep her student on task and motivated to work, so I knew she would offer a helpful perspective on this subject. Below I will present three takeaways from my interview with her.

T A K E A W A Y O N E : Students are more motivated when they are being challenged.

Chris made it very clear that something that motivates her student is being challenged (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021). As teachers, we must remember to make sure we are challenging all of our students and keeping them engaged, even in a pandemic or virtual setting.

T A K E A W A Y T W O : Students are more motivated at school.

Learning environment is one of the big factors that affects student motivation. Because of the nature of the pandemic, students have been pushed into new learning environments that might not suit that sort of activity. This can be damaging for motivation, and it is not hard to see why students might feel unmotivated.

T A K E A W A Y T H R E E : Taking breaks and movement can help increase motivation.

Motivation can be a difficult thing to pull out of students. Keeping students moving, engaged, and focused is very important to their learning. Taking breaks, moving around the room, and working on assignments in short sessions can help keep motivation up, according to Chris and her experience (C. Heidgerken, personal communication, January 16, 2021).

C O N C L U S I O N

Motivation is an extremely complex topic with many facets. It would be impossible to explore all the aspects of students' motivation in one lesson. However, this lesson went over what motivation is, what factors affect it, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, and motivation in the pandemic. Remember to keep your students moving, engaged, and in a healthy learning environment. Work to your student's motivation styles and make sure they are in the best position to succeed!!

Q U E S T I O N S

What are the two types of motivation?

a. High and Low

b. Internal and External

c. Intrinsic and Extrinsic

d. Strong and Weak

Peter is a student who is motivated to work when he knows he will get praise, a good grade, and avoidance of punishment from his parents. What motivation style does he exhibit?

a. Extrinsic

b. High

c. Intrinsic

d. Low

Answers

REFERENCES

Brody, J. E. (2020, May 18). How to maintain motivation in a pandemic. New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/well/mind/motivation-pandemic-coronavirus.html

Cherry, K. (2020, January 15). Differences of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Very Well Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/differences-between-extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-2795384

Corpus, Jennifer H., & Wormington, Stephanie V. (2014). Profiles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in elementary school: A

longitudinal analysis. The Journal of Experimental Education, 82(4), 480-501. DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2013.876225

Silva, V. (2020, April 21). 8 factors that affect students' motivation in education. Built By Me. https://www.builtbyme.com/students-motivation-in

-education/

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