Feature Choice buy-in and motivation – a path to independence

CHOICE BUY-IN AND MOTIVATION – A PATH TO INDEPENDENCE

Choice makes for motivated pupils, but Christopher Nicholls, Head of Economics and a Teacher of Product Design, says the options need to be presented carefully.

It makes sense logically, and has stood up under academic review, that intrinsically motivated pupils are more engaged, perform better, and have a more joyful experience of education. Furthermore, it has been found in work environments and managerial science that providing responsibility through choice is the best way to improve intrinsic motivation; individuals have even found that the task of administering electric shocks to themselves is less unpleasant when they felt they had an element of choice regarding the outcome – though this is not something to apply directly in the classroom! Within a classroom, these are two very important and connected ideas:

1. Motivated pupils are happier and perform better. 2. The most powerful way to motivate pupils is through giving them choice.

The recent drive for coaching within education seems to tie into the idea of being less instructional and harnessing the power of self-guidance. However, a salient consideration for teachers is to establish how choice can be effectively used in a classroom setting – as numerous studies have found it to be ineffective at improving pupil performance when inappropriately used. The first obstacle is in making sure pupils understand the purpose of their choices. David Didau points out in his book What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Psychology that teaching pupils in a short termist fashion toward the next test or exam is a joyless exercise, whereas 'students whose purpose it is to learn for its own sake [will] ... listen attentively, work conscientiously and strive to relate new concepts and information to what they already know'. This ties into Tom Sherrington’s Learning Rainforest where, of the five shared attributes he identifies in great teachers, his fourth is that 'they celebrate the intrinsic reward and motivating power of learning'. Such evidence, therefore, suggests that getting pupils to understand the broader purpose and joy of learning is a vital foundation before giving them choices. Once pupils do understand the broader purpose and joy of education, there still remains the practical challenge of how to meaningfully apply such principles in the classroom. Below are some examples:

Extension materials

Didau’s work points out that motivation of pupils is also driven by the challenge of the task that you set them. Within a classroom environment, differentiated teaching becomes a tool to ensure that pupils are developing and remaining motivated. This applies to work in class but also to homework; offering a choice of tasks and suggesting a driver of their choices is a powerful way to harness both of these drivers of motivation. For example: 'Your homework is to complete one section from this past paper – challenge yourselves by choosing the section you find hardest!’ or go even further in differentiation by proposing ‘I suggest that Section C would be most appropriate for those that found the recent test hard’.

Focus of assessment/work

Giving classes the option to choose on what areas their assessment should be focused is a powerful way to get them to reflect on their areas for improvement. My subject of Economics requires aptitude in a range of skills, such as definitions, diagrams, use of examples, and evaluative skills – collectively asking the class which of these I should award double marks for is a method for getting them to take responsibility for the areas they need to work on.

Rewards and sanctions

Getting a pupil to choose what the rewards or sanctions may be for a certain achievement or non-compliance is a powerful way for them to show they understand the consequences of their actions and to motivate them to perform. Questions such as: 'How can we reward ourselves if we all complete this homework to "X" standard?’ or letting pupils select due dates for assignments has been shown to improve performance.

Others

The list of choices that could be offered to pupils is as long as the choices that a teacher makes during class. This could include further things such as the order of topics being taught, choices of case studies, forms of assessment, seating plans or in discussing pupil voice. Evidence from Avi Assor (developer of a related concept called ‘selfdetermination theory’) found that pupil choices impact on motivation when the pupils see a relevance to their personal goals – meaningful choices provided to pupils should have this criteria in mind.

When pupil choice is not appropriate …

The idea of endless student choice is certainly not a modus operandi at all times; evidence suggests it is a useful tool only when used appropriately. Peps McCrea writes about this in his book Motivated Teaching, and warns that misplaced autonomy can be worse than none at all, giving the example that just as medical patients typically lack sufficient expertise to diagnose their own ailments, pupils are not always best placed to make wise choices about their learning. McCrea highlights two ways to manage this: the first is to only give pupils choice when appropriate and over things that will improve their motivation; letting pupils choose which exam board to sit would clearly be excessive. The second way to avoid inappropriate choices is where the teacher must make decisions for the class – but McCrea emphasises here that teachers should then put in the effort to garner support for this choice, ensuring pupil ‘buy-in’. Ways to achieve this are suggested by McCrea below:

• Expose the benefits of a choice

Explain and frame the benefits of such a task over a spanned timeframe, without overselling. • Offer the choice to ‘opt-in’

This may be as simple as asking the class if they are up for a task, but could be better driven by asking if they understand why the teacher has made a particular choice. • Encourage pupils to be more self-aware

This often requires a more long-term strategy in self-reflection of pupils’ approach to their studies – assessment strategies by the

Drama Department at STAHS are excellent examples of this!

McCrea proposes that getting pupil ‘buy-in’ is the next best alternative in circumstances when pupils cannot comprehend or be relied upon in their own choices. Such efforts are important for motivation and this is vital to pupil attainment and wellbeing in the long term. At STAHS, I would also emphasise that this provision of choice/buy-in will help to directly develop confidence, independence, and decision-making whilst having knock-on effects in improving pupil study habits – all things to strive for in teaching to 25! It is a murky science but one that I have enjoyed exploring and believe it has improved my teaching in an academic and pastoral sense.

Key takeaways

• Pupils must understand the purpose of their time in school. • Once this is clear, giving pupils appropriate choices in their education improves motivation and performance. • The choices given need to be carefully considered and – where not appropriate – should be supported with effort to get pupil ‘buy-in’ to the teacher’s choices.

References:

Brandisauskiene, A., Bruzgeleviciene, R., Cesnaviciene, J. and Nedzinskaite, R., 2021. Connections between teachers' motivational behaviours and school student engagement. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, (19), 165-184. Deci, E., Koestner, R. and Ryan, R., 2001. Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in education: reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1). Didau, D. and Rose, N., 2016. What every teacher needs to know about psychology. John Catt. Katz, I. and Assor, A. 2006. When choice motivates and when it does not. Educational Psychology Review. 19(4), 429-442. McCrea, P., 2020. Motitvated teaching: harnessing the science of motivation to boost attention and effort in the classroom: 3. High Impact Teaching. O’Reilly, F., Chande, R., Groot, B., Sanders, M. and Soon, Z., 2017. Behavioural insights for education: a practical guide for parents, teachers and school leaders. Pearson. Sherrington, T., 2017. The learning rainforest: great teaching in real classrooms. John Catt.