When we think about motivating children in the classroom, we often focus on lesson activities, carefully deciding which ones will involve our learners most effectively. Of course, it is important that children have fun as they learn. However, even young learners can benefit from relating positively to learning achievement.
Confidence and self-belief increase when learners are able to estimate and manage their own capabilities in relation to learning outcomes (Bandura, 1997). In fact, learners who develop higher levels of autonomy and confidence are then more likely to focus on success and minimise failure, creating a ‘virtuous cycle’ that will continue throughout their education (McDonough, 2007; Boud, 2000). With this in mind, it is good to introduce the concept of understanding aims and progress in very simple ways as children begin their learning journeys. But what does this mean in the classroom? Here are a few principles and tips that can help.
Think about the learning environment:
1. Help learners understand what they are going to do (their ‘outcome’) and what ‘success’ looks like for them (success may be different for each learner)!
2. Encourage them to think about their progress in relation to this.
3. Highlight what they have achieved. Offer praise but also acknowledge areas they need to ‘try again’ so they begin to see challenge as normal rather than failure.
To do these 3 things, you can try the following:
- Establish what learners are going to learn. For example, show a picture at the start of the lesson and point so learners can try to say the words. Alternatively show pictures from a story and ask what might happen before listening/reading. Don’t correct at this point. Be positive and identify opportunity – ‘Let’s learn!’ Download a sample from Power Up here.
- At the end of the task or lesson, go back to the pictures and repeat the activity, allowing learners to try again, using their new language. This makes their learning very visible to them, even if it is just one or two words.
- Make sure you find opportunities to praise all learners – for example, encourage less confident learners to contribute the simpler language or point when they hear it as you check answers.
- During the lesson, see how confident learners feel. For example, they can make red and green flags using cardboard, straws and sticky tape. Encourage them to wave their green flag if they can do the task and their red flag if they want more support. Remember to praise learners when they ask for support: they will begin to see this as a positive trait and not failure.
- Help them keep their own records of learning. For example, they can decorate their own ‘learning box’ and add a picture, new word or sentence each lesson as a visible record of what they have learnt and for revision.
By encouraging learners to reflect on their learning achievement in small steps like this, you will start them on a journey to autonomy and provide them with greater confidence, giving them learning skills that will benefit them forever.
References:
Bandura, A. (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York.
David Boud (2000) Sustainable Assessment: Rethinking assessment for the learning society, Studies in Continuing Education, 22:2, 151-167, DOI:10.1080/713695728
McDonough, S., 2007. Motivation in ELT. ELT Journal 61: 4, pp369-371.
Stephanie Dimond-Bayir is a teacher trainer, writer, lecturer and tutor at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. She has recently co-authored Teacher Editions for new Primary courses: Power Up and Level Up.