What Motivates students? We Asked, they answered. Deborah K. McKee , Weber State University

Debi’s Motivational Tool Bag Mass emails to students with important quiz and test dates Individual emails to those students who are behind schedule Semester calendar handout with stated due dates In-class lecture on Time Management In-class lecture on ‘How to prepare for a test.’ In-class lecture on ‘Most missed quiz problems.’ In-class lecture to ‘Come back to class after Spring Break!’

Effectiveness of Tool Bag…

Effectiveness of Tool Bag… Not very effective.

My Assumptions… Everyone who is going to school is organized and detail oriented. Everyone plans out their schedule at least one month in advance, highlighting important dates in pink. Everyone realizes that the sooner they learn the math, the sooner they can get out of the math class!

Why didn’t my motivational tools work? I did a lot of talking AT my students. I treated my class as a single entity, rather than individuals. I assumed everyone had a positive experience in school like I did, and they already knew how to organize their lives to manage school and work.

How can I better motivate my students?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students? 2. For what reasons would a student want to be contacted?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students? 2. For what reasons would a student want to be contacted? 3. Does a student want/need to be praised?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students? 2. For what reasons would a student want to be contacted? 3. Does a student want/need to be praised? 4. How should I communicate a concern with a student?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students? 2. For what reasons would a student want to be contacted? 3. Does a student want/need to be praised? 4. How should I communicate a concern with a student? 5. How often would a student want to be contacted?

How can I better motivate my students? Self-reporting Survey Questionnaire 1. How best to communicate with my students? 2. For what reasons would a student want to be contacted? 3. Does a student want/need to be praised? 4. How should I communicate a concern with a student? 5. How often would a student want to be contacted? 6. What suggestions do my students have for me?

b) talking to me during class Question 1: N = 394 student surveys I would prefer my instructor contact me by a) my school mail b) talking to me during class c) talking to me outside of class d) All of the above e) Never contact me 58.1% 28.7% 17.3% 0% 5.0% (Some students gave multiple answer responses. Therefore, the total percent is over 100%.)

Question 2: I would prefer for my instructor contact me a) if I am doing well in class b) if there is an important message to relay to me c) if I am falling behind in class d) All of the above e) Never 70.6% 21.6% 18.0% 1.3% 0%

Question 3: If I am doing well in my class, I would want my instructor to a) compliment me in class in front of others b) compliment me in class, but privately c) send me an email d) All of the above e) Leave me alone and let me finish my work 43.7% 32.0% 19.5% 1.3% 14.2%

Question 4: If I am behind in class, I would want my instructor to a) help me during class on the concepts I’m not under- standing b) talk to me outside of class and ask what he could do to help c) give me the name of a student mentor or academic advisor for guidance d) All of the above e) Leave me alone and let me do what I want 49.5% 27.9% 26.4% 1.0% 3.6%

Question 5: If my instructor communicated with me on a weekly basis about my work in class, I would a) appreciate the attentive monitoring and reply to the instructor b) appreciate the attentive monitoring, but not reply to the c) ignore the email, thinking it was just a ‘form letter’ that all the students got d) be annoyed at the constant reminder of the math class 65.5% 26.1% 8.1% 5.1%

Question 6: In your own words, tell us what you would like your instructor to do to keep you motivated throughout the semester to attend class and complete the work.

Question 6: In your own words, tell us what you would like your instructor to do to keep you motivated throughout the semester to attend class and complete the work. “My instructor should give me candy.” “It’s not my instructor’s job to keep me motivated. It’s mine.” “Tell me that all my hard work is making a difference.”

Students’ feelings towards math…

Students’ feelings towards math… “I can do the math. I’m just lazy.” “I’ve never been any good at math. My parents were never good at math either.” “THIS IS STUPID!! Why do I have to do my math without a calculator? You are preventing me from graduating because of your stupid policy. WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THIS POLICY??? It’s 2016!!!”

History of Math Discouragement Struggle with math in elementary school…

History of Math Discouragement Struggle with math in elementary school… Struggle with math throughout life.

History of Math Discouragement “My 4th grade teacher just kept giving me times table flash cards to memorize. I couldn’t ever remember them.” “My teacher never had time to help me, so I just didn’t do my math.”

History of Math Discouragement “I pretended to know math in junior high, but copied off my friend’s homework everyday. I was invisible in high school to my teacher. He would just help the ‘smart kids’ and left me alone, which I was okay with, but I still don’t know how to do math.”

History of Math Discouragement Uncontrollable external influences at young ages can cause math distress for students. “I had to watch my baby sister while my mom worked. I missed a lot of school.” “We moved a lot and I never learned my math well.” “I have dyslexia. But I didn’t know it until high school. I always feel dumb in school.”

Students’ feelings towards math teacher and motivation… “I don’t want to disappoint my math teacher. She knows me by name!” “It shouldn’t matter if my teacher knows me or not. I am the one responsible for motivating myself!” “My teacher doesn’t even know who I am! He doesn’t care about me. He only wants to collect a paycheck for doing NOTHING!”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Personalized attention “Email me personally and tell me what I could do better.” “Talk to me. Don’t let me slip through the cracks.” “Know my name.” “Care about my success. Help me get better.”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Positive Reassurance “Tell me that all my hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.” “It’s nice to hear that I do well on my quizzes.” “Math is hard. I keep trying. My teacher tells me not to give up because I am getting better everyday.” “My teacher told me that she was impressed with how far I have come this semester. That made me proud.”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Teacher offers help “Sometimes I’m afraid to ask for help (because I’m so dumb). It would be great if my teacher emailed me and offered personal help.” “Please let me know how to figure out these stupid word problems without making me beg for help.”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Reminders “My teacher always sends out weekly messages of what homework needs to be done and how to study for my quizzes. I like this!” “At the beginning of the semester, my teacher had me write down my goals for this math class. She reminds me to always look at my goals to keep me on track.”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Make math meaningful and fun “It would be good to actually see how I’m going to use this math in the real world.” “My teacher has my class do a group word problem everyday. I hate this, but it is helpful to understand why I need to know math.” “My teacher has such a fun personality. It’s fun to go to class to hear her teach math with dumb stories.”

Student Suggestions for Motivation… Extra Goodies “Having extra credit for coming to class would be good.” “Candy is always a good motivator.” “Pizza and beer.”

What I’ve learned about motivating students… Be invested in my students’ success Talk with them, not at them. Know their names. Know their goals. Realize that “gold stars” are still needed. Understand that students’ personal histories have great affects on their feelings towards math. Be approachable as a teacher. Offer help, especially to those who don’t ask.

What I’ve learned about motivating students… Make math relevant to my students Have students discover how math is used in real life through guided discussion. Show how math is learned and remembered best through communicating ideas. Explain that math is more than knowing how to combine numbers… It is critical thinking, problem solving, deductive reasoning.

What I’ve learned about motivating students… Listen to my students with patience “When a student asks me a question that I’ve already answered a million times before, I can’t lose my patience with him. This is the first time THAT student has had the courage to ask that question.” - Debi Larsen