Motivation
Whats the best way to motivate a student either with Intrinsic or Extrinsic if it seems impossible to prove to them that the subject you are teaching can be useful to them?
Patricia , great point. Knowing their current understanding of your subject matter can be critical in moving them along a knowledge line towards a level of mastery based on the goals of the course you are teaching. It is also important to use their own knowledge to build upon new concepts which better allows them to relate new and more complex ideas based on what they already know.
James Jackson
Knowing what our adult students already know is key. I always try to build from there and never want to insult their intellegence.
Sona, great point and relevance to their world is critical to the learning process. The What's In It For Me or WIIFM is a proven methodology and maps well to adult learning theory.
James Jackson
I try to motivate my students by preparing great lessons which are not only relevant but aligned with some of their goals and experiences. Current and future applications are also introduce so that students can see why the lesson is important.
Mohammed, what are some of the techniques you use to assist students in better understanding their short and long term goals? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
Christopher, every subject has value and every subject can be interesting to any student. The real trick is in knowing your students and what they want out of their time with you. I do not know the subject you teach but consider a class such as composition. Many students feel they do not enjoy English Composition until they come to an understanding of how valuable such a class can be towards their earnings potential. In a review of standard job applications it is rare where the need to write effectively is not a requirement for a job. The better one is at writing the more chance they will not only get the job but also advance within their field, any field in fact. The more you can directly relate your field to their total earning potential then you stand a better chance at getting them more interested in the subject.
James Jackson
I think helping students understand their short and long term goals is a great source of motivation.
