A guide to the good, the bad, and the ugly of student motivation
In this webinar, Professor Andrew Martin (UNSW, Australia) — an educational psychologist — explains the key parts of motivation that switch students on (the ‘good’) and the key parts of motivation that switch students off (the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’).
Andrew explores the consequences of this—including how it impacts students’ capacity to thrive and adapt in an increasingly disrupted world of education. Then, Andrew shares some practical strategies that teachers can use in the everyday course of teaching to boost and sustain the ‘good’ motivation and address the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’.
To help you navigate the webinar easily, there is a list of the key topics covered in the session below, including the time each was discussed. The key ideas discussed in this webinar are also shared in a short insight article.
| Time from start of video | Topics discussed in this webinar |
| 02.03 | What is motivation? |
| 06.16 | The good, the bad, and the ugly of motivation |
| 10.19 | The Motivation and Engagement Wheel |
| 11.21 | Positive motivation |
| 12.30 | Positive engagement |
| 15.05 | Negative motivation |
| 17.56 | Negative engagement |
| 24.40 | Using the wheel as the basis for assessment and intervention |
| 26.49 | Domain-general versus domain-specific motivation |
| 32.56 | Key findings from research based on the Wheel as a conceptual foundation |
| 34.02 | Findings on motivation in relation to student age and gender |
| 36.53 | Findings on motivation related to teacher effects |
| 40.11 | The impact of motivation on academic outcomes |
| 42.10 | Individual versus group motivation |
| 44.22 | The importance of teacher-student relationships to motivation |
| 45.16 | Using the Motivation and Engagement Wheel to support individual students |
| 51.54 | Findings from research into the impact of Covid 19 lockdowns on student motivation: the importance of valuing, control, and task management |
Useful links and resources
Click here to download a pdf of the Motivation and Engagement Wheel
Click here to access the resources that Andrew referred to during to the webinar
Articles on Load Reduction Instruction:
Martin, A. (2020). Kids learn best when you add a problem-solving boost to ‘back-to-basics’ instruction: Load reduction instruction (LRI). The Conversation.
Martin, A. (2018). Integrating explicit instruction with independent learning: Load Reduction Instruction (LRI). Australian Educational Leader, 40(2), 36-39.
Martin, A. J. (2016). Using Load Reduction Instruction (LRI) to boost motivation and engagement. Leicester, UK: British Psychological Society.
