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Key strategies to keep students engaged both in and out of the classroom.

Engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, or interest that a student shows when they are learning something new. Engagement can be fostered by different types of motivation—external and internal. 

Extrinsic Motivation and Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation (also known as external motivation) involves using rewards such as praise, stickers, or grades to encourage effort and engagement. Such extrinsic rewards can work to boost student motivation, and extrinsic motivation has its place, but it is often not enough to maintain engagement in the long term. Too often, the “external payoff” isn’t enough to sustain efforts, especially when the task seems overwhelming. Students often resist putting in the required work because they have experienced failure too frequently and therefore choose not to try. 

Intrinsic motivation (or internal motivation) comes from within. Interest, purpose, and personal meaning drive effort. Research has validated the connections between “non-cognitive factors” such as motivation, interest, curiosity, responsibility, determination, perseverance, student autonomy, and work habits. Notably, working in an online space requires more of these attributes and connections. Interest is a powerful motivator that can foster learning and enhance attention. After COVID, many educators struggled to reignite students’ engagement. Many championed the notion of using a student’s inherent interests. Personal interest creates greater engagement and motivation, especially for a learner who seems “unmotivated” or reluctant. When learning is connected to an area of interest, it automatically becomes more meaningful and relevant, which is why intrinsic motivation can lead to deeper understanding and a more successful learning experience. Importantly, student effort is a matter of choice. Engagement is volitional. Effort is more readily available in areas of marked interest and allows learning to be maintained, deepened, and segued to other content areas. Think about your feeling of curiosity and heightened concentration when watching a YouTube video, reading, or listening to a podcast when you feel interested in the topic. 

Two key attributes found in successful learners are their levels of effort and motivation. It is common to procrastinate or avoid tasks and assignments that are unpleasant. Going to class, completing assignments, and studying can be difficult, but they are critical for academic success. Research showsthat students can “learn how to be better learners” by using effective self-regulation and motivational strategies. In doing so, they boost their chances of success at school and increase feelings of well-being. So there are many proven strategies that students with learning differences can try.

Strategies for Greater Self-Confidence and Learning

• Start the “unpleasant” tasks first. The approach of “I will do it later” is seldom successful and only increases the feeling of dread as the task gets pushed off repeatedly. The time for “doing it later” rarely comes.

• Pace your work. “Chunking” study time into smaller increments in which you can actually focus for the entire time is much better than promising yourself to read for 30 minutes but finding that you cannot recall what you read for the last 15 minutes. Discovering how long you can pay attention is a critical skill, as it varies greatly from person to person. And it also varies because your attention will depend on your interest and existing background knowledge. Let that realization guide your study time. When you find your attention drifting, take a short break. Determine the kind of break you need. Do you need to take a short walk, jog in place, get up and stretch, or drink some water? Learning the type of break you need will be really helpful. Watching an episode of your favorite show (which leads to watching others) or checking social media is not usually productive. A productive break is brief, and you return ready to focus again. 

• Learn what is a conducive work setting. The classroom environment, as well as the learning environment outside the classroom, can impact your ability to stay engaged and focused during learning activities. Some find the background noise in a coffee shop helps with focus, for example. Others need a quiet corner to work alone. You may attend best with music through headphones, which creates a white noise effect.

• Set SMART GOALS. The goal “I want to do better in school” is too general. SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound—help us focus on what is realistic and achievable within a specific period of time. “Getting better grades” is too amorphous. Since that goal is too general, learn to be more specific. “I didn’t do well on the last psychology quiz, especially the terminology section. I want to get a B+ (85 percent) on the next psychology test, which takes place on November 15” is SMART. An even better SMART goal includes a way to achieve the goal: “I want to get an 85 percent or better on the next psychology test. To do that, I need to study the terms better, so I will create flashcards for each new word and review them every day before the test.”

• Set SMART goals, but think long term. For example, “I want to be a counselor. Counselors have a strong background in psychology.” Link doing better in the psychology course with your long-term goals and aspirations. This can be personally motivational. Another related strategy is to visualize your future goals. Some students create a vision board to foster internal motivation. Remind yourself regularly of what you wish to achieve so that it encourages you to continue working hard. This kind of self-efficacy, making progress, and taking ownership of your own learning are strongly linked to academic performance and academic achievement.

Students who struggle with motivation and engagement should be encouraged to align what they do with the things that make them happy and are focused on the future they envision for themselves. If they pursue only those things they do not actually enjoy or care about, it becomes difficult to remain motivated and fully engaged. Provide students with self-care strategies, including adequate sleep, good nutrition, and regular study times. Keeping to a daily schedule will help learners become more successful because research shows that successful adults with ADHD adhere to a busy schedule. Choosing a pathway and activities that interest students is one of the best ways to motivate them to persevere. Remember to reward students for accomplishing difficult tasks. Lastly, keep working to identify the strategies that help learners stay focused on meeting their goals.

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Marion Marshall, M.S., is a Board-Certified Educational Therapist (BCET), a Fellow of Educational Therapy (FAET), and a faculty member of the Notre Dame de Namur University’s Educational Therapy graduate program. She joined NDNU in 2022, having served as the Director of Holy Names University's Educational Therapy program. She also holds teaching credentials in both multiple subjects and special education. Marion has authored several publications on Educational Therapy, including her latest book, Ethical Decision Making in Educational Therapy: A Practical Guide (Ethics International Press, 2024). In 2023 she was awarded Nan Freund Distinguished Service Award person for “exhibiting an unwavering commitment and steadfast loyalty to the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) and the profession of educational therapy”. In 2018, she was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award from Holy Names University and was named a Fellow of the Association of Educational Therapy, which is awarded for “exceptional work in the field of Educational Therapy”. Marion is a frequent speaker at national conferences and formerly served as a member of AET's Board of Directors, as the chair of the Professional Affairs Committee.