Breaking Down the Classroom Walls:Teacher Perceptions of Student Motivation in a Non-Structured School Environment
Year: 2017
Type: other
Abstract: Motivation plays a significant role in student learning and success. However, keeping students motivated is often a struggle for schools. In traditional secondary schools, students are given pre-determined class schedules and deadlines to help keep them on track, but how would a school without schedules and deadlines affect the motivation of students? This qualitative research study explores how teachers perceive and reportedly foster student motivation in a non-structured school environment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two teachers from a self-directed secondary school in Ontario. Findings suggest that, from these teachers’ perspective, the lack of structure seemingly increases student motivation as it promotes student autonomy. Other findings suggest that teachers perceive a growth and success mindset to be crucial to student motivation and that a positive relationship developed between teacher and student can supposedly serve as a strong motivator in student learning. My findings imply that the rigid structures of traditional schools may be a major cause to the lack of student motivation in secondary schools, thus I recommend that all teachers try to incorporate more autonomy into their classrooms as a way to foster student motivation.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Xue Piao Leng
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2613681834