‘The trouble with pupils today is that they just do not want to learn.’

Schools and teachers can have a significant impact on pupils’ engagement and motivation.

Some action can be implemented in the short term: other action requires long-term implementation.

All action needs to be planned, monitored and reviewed.

they are clear about its purpose because the work has been well explained;

the work builds on their prior attainment; they are able to do the work but find it challenging;

they are emotionally, physically and intellectually involved by the tasks set;

the presentation, variety and structure of the work and activities generate curiosity and interest;

they have opportunities to ask questions and try out ideas;

they can see what they have achieved and how they have made progress;

they get a feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment from the work.

the physical state of the pupil;

the emotional state of the pupil;

the learning style of the pupil;

the pupil's prior attainment and knowledge.

The physical state of the pupil:

The condition in which we work affect our levels of motivation. Classrooms need to be comfortable and airy. They need to be well lit and well equipped in order to support the learning activities. Lessons need to be structured to take account of concentration levels; for example, generally no single activity should be longer than 20 minutes without a break of some sort.

The emotional state of the pupil:

Pupils need to:

Know the purpose and value of what they are being asked to do;

Feel safe to take risks in their learning and understand that failure and making mistakes constitute an important part of learning;

Believe that they can succeed.

The learning style of the pupil:

To constantly work outside one’s preferred learning style can lead to boredom and lack of motivation. Pupils learn best when thinking about, discussing and using ideas.

The pupil’s prior attainment and knowledge:

Pupils need to be working in advance of their actual developmental level but not to a degree whereby they are stressed by the learning opportunities presented to them. They also need to be encouraged to use what they already know as a basis for understanding new information.

Create opportunities for movement in lessons; e.g., use group work strategies such as jigsaws, envoys , role-play.

Chunk the lesson and vary learning opportunity to sustain concentration and engagement; e.g., move from single activity to multi-activity lesson.

Use wait time when asking questions.

Warn pupils when thy will be asked to contribute to whole-class discussion.

Alert pupils to questions that will be asked during the lesson.

Give pupils a choice of assignments.

Explain different approaches to note taking and allow pupils to use the form they feel most comfortable with.

Provide opportunities for pupils to identify questions that will form the basis of an enquiry.

Use language to build up self-esteem, confidence and optimism.

Treat pupils fairly and consistently.

Target pupil who are troubled or stressed; diffuse tension by greeting pupils as they enter the classroom; use humour to relax pupils.

Use the school’s reward system to acknowledge the full range of achievement; be consistent.

Use formative assessment to identify achievement, areas for development and ways forward.

Combine high standards of attainment and order with confidence and optimism that those standards will be met.

Use curriculum targets to create a climate of continuing self-improvement.

Show how each lesson connects with previous lessons and those which follow.

Map out the scheme of work.

Begin lessons by showing pupils what they will learn, what you will be looking for in successful work, making them where possible, multi-sensory.

Provide opportunities for pupils to reflect upon their own preferred learning styles so that they can make informed choices.

Be sensitive to situations where pupils are working outside their preferred styles and provide support.

Validate pupils’ own experience by creating opportunities for them to link what they know already with the new content of a lesson; for example, begin lessons by discussing what pupils already know about a topic, use analogies drawn from the experience of pupils, refer to examples drawn from the world of pupils.

Review learning to reinforce and make explicit what has been learned.