Ever wonder how you can motivate your learners? Have you ever thought deeper about the question, can we actually motivate others? Or is it that we can create the conditions to better enhance motivation in others? Let’s begin with what motivation really is.
Motivation can be explained as why people think and behave as they do. It can also be viewed as a process that determines the amount of energy and attention that our brains and bodies allocate to a given stimulus. It is never static, and in fact, can fluctuate at any time. Wlodkowski & Ginsberg (2018) noted that motivation is both purposeful and attaches emotion to action. As well, one’s culture significantly influences their motivation. When learners can see that their learning makes sense and is important according to their values, then motivation is likely to increase.
The Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) framework introduces us to creating four conditions that enhance motivation. Within each of these four conditions, there are multiple strategies that not only help build inclusive learning communities, promote positive attitudes, enrich meaning, and create competence, but also improve learner success as a result. The CRT conditions can be utilized in a variety of modalities, such as in-person classrooms, hybrid formats, asynchronous online environments, and large courses.