Engagement and Motivation in Reading (and all other learning tasks)

We all know that high quality learning requires engagement and motivation, but generating this, in my opinion, is one of our most difficult tasks. And for the majority of students, the levels of engagement and motivation are so dependent on our teaching style and methods that we cannot take this duty lightly. The research discussed in "Contexts for Engagement and Motivation in Reading" written by John Guthrie (http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/index.html) speaks to this point.

Research discussed in this article suggests that teaching style and methods have great consequences on student motivation and engagement. Teacher-centered styles foster situational, extrinsic motivation, instead of long-term, intrinsic motivation. In contrast, student-centered, learning-goal oriented styles increase self-efficacy; when understanding content, using strategies effectively, and linking new and prior knowledge to construct meaning are emphasized, students are more likely to be engaged.

So what specifically can we do to develop engaged and intrinsically motivated students? We can give students autonomy by allowing students to make choices about learning materials and tasks. We can  provide real-world interactions by using concrete examples and/or hands-on activities to enhance text-based learning and improve achievement.We can provide interesting materials for instruction which will engage students and make them more motivated to learn. We can provide explicit reading and learning instruction to develop skills necessary for independent learning. We can provide opportunities for collaborative learning, enabling students to communicate ideas, to be exposed to multiple perspectives, and to construct meaning. And finally, possibly the most important thing we can do is be involved and engaged teachers who care about our students and take the time to get to know their interests and individual learning styles.The below figure from the article summarizes (with more detail) the instructional context engagement model of  reading devolopment.



Although  this article was specifically addressing reading engagment and motivation, I believe these techniques are generalizable to all learning activities and this article has provided me with a framework to foster engaged and motivated students.

Online version: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/index.html
Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson, P.D., & Barr R. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of reading research: Volume III (pp. 403-422). New York: Erlbaum.