Factors that Affect Students ‘Performance in Academics
Motivation in education can have a dramatic impact on
students’ performance and results. Therefore, parents and teachers who are
willing to help their children do better in school should be aware of the
factors that affect student motivation.
Why Is
Motivation in Education Important?
Motivation is the state that can maintain students’
attention and behaviour as well as provides with more energy to needed to lead
tasks to completion. Thus, it can help sustain activities over a period of
time. In education, motivation can have a variety of effects on students’ behaviour, preferences, and results. For instance, motivation can:
- help us direct our attention toward tasks that need to
be done,
- allow us to do these tasks in shorter periods of time
as well as maintain attention during a longer time,
- minimise distractions and resist them better,
- affect how much information we retain and store,
- Influence the perception of how easy or difficult tasks
can appear.
Most importantly, motivation urges to us perform an action. It
is multifactorial depending upon parents, teachers and students. The right
mixture gives the best results. Without it, completing the action can be hard
or even impossible for some.
1. Class
and Curriculum Structure
Children thrive when there is structure and struggle when
there is chaos. When students sense or see that classes follow a structure, and
the curriculum and class materials have been prepared beforehand, it provides
them with a greater sense of security.
The feeling of security is one of our basic needs. When
that’s provided in a learning environment, it allows students to fully focus on
the learning material.
To help students feel more secure, educators need to plan
classes and curriculum. All materials that will be used in class should be
prepared in advance. Educators can also state the objectives of a course or
class at the beginning of a semester or a class.
2.
Teacher Behaviour and Personality
If a student has a negative emotion such as fear or
disliking towards their teacher, that can negatively affect their attitude toward
the subject as a whole. If a teacher shows a preference towards certain
students or uses derogatory and humiliating language, that can lower their
motivation in education.
On the other hand, kindness, optimism, positive feedback,
and encouragement can positively affect students’ motivation to learn.
3.
Teaching Methods
Students are more likely to retain their motivation in
education if educators use different teaching methods. That creates diversity
and prevents students from getting bored. Giving room for certain choices such
as which partner they’d like to work with can be beneficial too.
Students in a single class are likely to have different
styles of learning. Thus, a teacher is more likely to meet these needs by
applying different teaching methods.
4.
Parental Habits and Involvement
Quite a few parental habits can indirectly affect the
motivation of children, intrinsic motivation in particular. These include:
- showing interest in the child’s learning material,
- inquiring about their day,
- actively listening,
- helping with specific tasks or skills taught ,
- attending parent meetings,
- Encouraging children t complete homework or study for a
test.
Another habit that’s been proven to improve motivation, is
reading. Reading to and with children helps them develop literacy faster than
talking does. However, reading comprehension level can determine
students’ success in later years.
5. Instability
and Family Issues
Same as the lack of security in the classroom, the lack of
security at home can negatively impact motivation in education.
Children who live with both parents, on average get better
grades than children who don’t. Family conflicts and disruption can result
in poorer academic performance. Some examples include:
- divorce,
- loss of one or both parents,
- not living with the biological father or mother,
- not having contact with the biological father or
mother,
- frequently moving from one home to another,
As a result, in certain instances, additional support may be
needed from schools to help students with their issues.
6. Relationships with peers
As children grow older, the influence peers have upon them
increases as well. Therefore, problems and conflicts with peers can make
students feel less secure about their social status among peers, increase their
stress levels, and lower motivation in education.
Keeping an eye on any conflicts, bullying, and other peer
issues can prevent serious problems.
7. Right Learning
Environment
Study environment or climate is another factor that affects motivation
in education. Study environment refers to different norms and regulations that
determine the overall climate in the schools and colleges.
Positive school environment makes students feel safe and
secure, meets their basic needs such as daily meals, and provides an optimal
environment for them to build healthy social relationships.
Too many classes and learning environment that’s too serious
can also lower motivation in education. Adding a fun element to classes can
help to ease the atmosphere and improve motivation and results. Allowing enough
time for play and rest can also have a positive effect.
8. Frequent
assessments
While standardised assessment increases the standards of
attainment, it can negatively influence students’ motivation in education if
frequent and over stressed, especially at a younger age. The opposite can be
seen in countries like Finland where primary school children do not get any
tests. Despite the lack of assessment, Finnish children display higher academic
achievements.
It is also common for students to lose motivation if tests
are continuously too challenging. This does not provide a sense of achievement
and lowers motivation in education over time. Thus, it’s important for
educators to experiment with and apply different testing methods which would be
able to address the different learning needs of students. The concept of flow where
the student is challenged enough and does not find it too tough or too easy
needs to be attained. Maximum improvement is seen such students.
Overall the need to have a positive feedback and motivation
is a must to overcome distractions which are more common in today’s children.
The need to train for exam stress like the commandos in army for dealing with
tough situations especially psychologically is an overstatement but a similar
program can make them aware of their feelings and be in command. The VUCA
training in US army is an example of how training helps in dealing with uncertainties
in life. Covid 19 is one such example where we need to make our students more
future ready and resilient. To adapt to changes and complex situation will be
the new benchmark of the coming times.
Lastly talking about the Adversity quotient which deals with
untoward incidents and stress in our lives are high from early childhood in some.
While there are others who need to be trained from early life. Exam stress in today's world is nothing less than battles for soldiers and our children need to be trained
to outperform with glorifying results.
Very helpful
ReplyDeleteNice article
ReplyDeleteVery informative. Thanks for writing
ReplyDeleteNice . informative
ReplyDeleteVery well written.. Informative
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