School Resources

What switches students on and off?

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

Topics discussed in this webinar

Times shown in minutes and seconds from the start of the video

2.03What is motivation? 
6.16The good, the bad, and the ugly of motivation 
10.19The Motivation and Engagement Wheel 
11.21Positive motivation
12.30Positive engagement 
15.05Negative motivation
17.56Negative engagement 
24.40Using the wheel as the basis for assessment and intervention
26.49Domain-general versus domain-specific motivation 
32.56Key findings from research based on the Wheel as a conceptual foundation
34.02Findings on motivation in relation to student age and gender 
36.53Findings on motivation related to teacher effects 
40.11The impact of motivation on academic outcomes
42.10Individual versus group motivation
44.22The importance of teacher-student relationships to motivation
45.16Using the Motivation and Engagement Wheel to support individual students 
51.54Findings 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. 

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