Strategies for Increasing Student Engagement and Motivation

With today’s students, it always seems like it’s the same argument: they’re hard to motivate and then even harder to keep engaged. We’ve all heard the labels…distracted, disaffected, digital natives who’d rather be on YouTube. While that can be a surface diagnosis, it is a matter of digging just a bit deeper to spark genuine student engagement and intrinsic motivation in the classroom. The potential is there, simmering beneath the surface. Once you have these students hooked, they will be willing to try anything you put before them. The key isn’t to force them to learn but to create an environment where they choose to.

This student engagement and motivation issue isn’t something that has sprung up overnight either; there are many reasons for disinterest. It’s a pressing concern echoed in staff rooms and educational journals alike. While some might quickly say it is due to the student, the student’s background, or their home life, a closer look reveals a more complex picture. Often, the solution (and the problem) lies within the four walls of the classroom and the approach we take.

It’s not until you dig deeper into the science of learning and motivation that you will realize how true this is. This isn’t about blame; it’s about understanding. The onus is on us, the educators, to architect the learning experiences that will become the driving force for our students’ academic success.

Relationships: The Bedrock of Engagement

The foundation of any successful classroom, especially with middle school and high school students, is built on positive relationships. This isn’t just a feel-good mantra; it’s a critical factor confirmed by a mountain of educational research. When you teach your students that they can and will learn something new every day in class, then you need to make sure you’re doing just that. After hearing the student-teacher relationship mantra repeated ad nauseam, many students come to believe that it is just another thing that adults tell them but can’t really do.

They’ve become disengaged students because they’ve seen promises of connection fall flat.

In order to build student engagement and motivation, you need to prove whether this student-teacher relationship mantra holds true. This goes beyond knowing their name. It’s about understanding their individual needs, their diverse backgrounds, and what makes them tick. It’s about demonstrating empathy, perhaps even building an empathy map, to truly see the world from their perspective. This effort builds the trust necessary for students to take the intellectual risks that lead to growth.

Next, we must consider student relationships with other students in their class. Another major issue is a student’s relationship with their peers. If a student feels like they can’t go to the student sitting next to them, or to anyone in class for help, then they will not feel compelled to ask questions. This isolation is a direct roadblock to student engagement and motivation. To build a positive classroom environment, you must intentionally foster student-student relationships and communication, allowing them to be as open and free as student-teacher ones.

This is where collaborative learning and small groups shine, creating a school community within your classroom where students feel safe and supported.

The student’s home life and mental health are undeniable factors that can affect their capacity for engagement. In order to keep student motivation on track, we must strive to understand and, where possible, help break some of these chains holding students back from their academic success. If a student can’t make it to school, an extra effort to find out why can be the first step in helping them move forward past this barrier. This holistic view is part of our vital role as educators.

Uncovering Student Intent: The “Why” Behind the Work

In order to build lasting motivation, you have to know what matters most in each student’s life…their core “why,” or their student intent. Knowing this allows us to better motivate our students as well as tailor our strategies to better fit the learner. Student intent is the personal learning journey they are on, often unspoken. It answers the question: “What does success mean to me?”

This concept is deeply tied to self-determination theory, which posits that intrinsic motivation flourishes when people feel competent, autonomous, and related to others. A student’s intent might be to gain a necessary skill for a future job, to make their family proud, to understand a complex world, or simply to experience the joy of mastering something difficult. This intent is the engine of their motivation.

You also need to be able to understand student intent in your classroom. This will allow you to break down walls to engagement as well as strengthen student-teacher and student-student relationships. The first step is simply seeing it. This may be done by observing student reactions (their behavioral engagement and emotional engagement) when you give them various assignments. It happens after speaking with students one-on-one about their lives outside of school and their students’ goals. It’s in the questions they ask and the topics they light up about.

Once you can see these student intent areas, you can breakthrough by aligning the course material with their interests. Teachers often do this by breaking down classroom walls; for example, they may allow students more autonomy in how they learn, or at least how they demonstrate what they need to learn. Teachers can also simply try a student’s way of learning; for example, the student may have just taken an interest in digital design, so the teacher lets them create a short video or a website instead of a standard report.

Generally speaking, student intent is highest when students feel that they are contributing to their own education or their peers’ education…when they have agency. Teachers can amplify student motivation by making student learning more of a peer activity through project-based learning and group discussions rather than solely teacher-directed interaction.

Ultimately, while teachers can help build student intent and relationships through their tactics, student motivation is still up to the student. If the student refuses to take initiative on any given day, motivation will suffer. Student engagement and motivations are very personal things; you can’t expect students to be motivated by your own passions unless they relate to theirs. You can help by providing what the student needs in order to be successful, and by listening when students tell you that something is not working.

Overcoming the Barriers: From Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation

The student motivation chain starts with the student; therefore, it is up to them to be motivated and engaged. But you, as the teacher, are the architect of the environment that either nurtures or stifles that drive. You can help break engagement barriers by providing what they need in order to succeed: a student-teacher relationship that reflects their own student intent areas, freedom within your classroom rules (where student intent is highest), and tactics that reflect the students’ needs.

A major barrier is a pervasive fear of failure. When the classroom culture prioritizes the correct answer over the learning process, students disengage to protect their self-worth. Shifting the focus to effort, strategy, and growth is crucial. This is where establishing clear expectations and success criteria for the learning process itself, not just the outcome, becomes important. It helps students develop the self-regulation skills necessary to persevere.

Extrinsic motivation, like grades and rewards, can only take you so far. It might generate compliance in the short term, but it often undermines intrinsic motivation…the deep, internal desire to learn…in the long term. The goal is to create a classroom where the work itself is the reward. This is where moving from extrinsic carrots and sticks to intrinsic interest and purpose is the fundamental shift required for lasting student success.

Student-Inspired Work: Where the Magic Happens

Student work that is student-inspired is the ultimate catalyst for engagement and motivation. This is the tangible evidence of that motivation. By using motivation tactics that promote choice, relevance, and authenticity, student engagement will improve and can help student learning as well. These types of assignments exemplify intrinsic motivation and provide insight into the student’s mind, making them a great way to engage students in the design process of their own educational environment.

An example of student-inspired work is a project that challenges students to create a piece of work that reflects their interests and showcases their skill, while still rigorously reflecting the curriculum. This is a classic application of project-based learning.

Imagine a history class where instead of a test on ancient Egypt, students choose to:

• Build a scale model of a pyramid, using geometry and physics. This isn’t just an art project; it’s an exercise in applied mathematics and engineering. Students must research accurate dimensions, calculate scale ratios, and problem-solve structural integrity. They engage in critical thinking to determine how the Egyptians might have transported materials and aligned structures with celestial bodies, connecting history to astronomy. The final product is a tangible piece of evidence of their learning journey, far more meaningful than a circled grade on a scan sheet.
• Write and perform a play based on the myth of Osiris. This activity taps into emotional engagement and collaborative learning. To script and perform the drama, students must deeply understand the myth’s cultural and religious significance, moving beyond names and dates to grasp the values of an ancient society. This fosters empathy and public speaking skills, and performing for peers or the wider school community transforms the classroom into a dynamic, engaging learning environment.
• Create a “digital museum tour” using audio recordings and images. This project leverages technology for authentic assessment. Students act as curators, using online learning tools to assemble their exhibit. They must write concise, informative descriptions (honing literacy skills), record clear audio narration, and source or create visually compelling imagery. This develops digital literacy and teaches them to synthesize information and present it to a public audience, mirroring real-world skills used in museums and media.
• Design a clothing line inspired by Egyptian art and symbolism. This approach connects ancient history to contemporary culture and commerce. Students analyze hieroglyphics, deities, and artistic motifs, interpreting their meanings and adapting them into modern designs. They must articulate their creative choices in a “lookbook” or presentation, explaining the historical inspiration behind each piece. This fosters creativity, visual literacy, and an understanding of how history continuously influences modern aesthetics.

In a science class, student-inspired work moves beyond the lab report to create real-world impact:

• Start a community garden to learn about biology and ecology. This long-term project-based learning unit embodies the science of learning through direct experience. Students learn about plant biology, soil chemistry, photosynthesis, and ecosystems through observable behavior and tending their garden. They take ownership of their plot, developing self-regulation skills as they water, weed, and monitor growth. The garden becomes a living lab that provides fresh produce for the school community, creating a powerful link between academic success and tangible, positive outcomes.
• Design and build water filters to understand environmental engineering. This challenge promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Using inexpensive materials like sand, gravel, and activated charcoal, students iteratively design, test, and improve their filtration systems. They learn about water contamination and the global challenge of access to clean water, adding a layer of social consciousness to the lesson. A friendly competition to create the most efficient filter can heighten engagement and demonstrate engineering principles in a memorable, hands-on way.
• Create a public health campaign based on their learning about viruses. This task makes microbiology personally and socially relevant. Students translate complex information about viruses, transmission, and immunity into accessible posters, infographics, or short video PSAs for their peers. This not only proves their understanding of the course material but also develops their ability to communicate scientific concepts effectively…a necessary skill in today’s world. It empowers them to become educators themselves, solidifying their own knowledge and contributing to the health literacy of the entire school.

This approach makes the learning experiential and personal. It encourages active participation and critical thinking, moving far beyond memorization. When students are successful on a student-inspired assignment, they feel a true sense of accomplishment, which activates their motivation to carry over into their next task. This cycle of success breeds more success and is a powerful antidote to poor academic performance and high dropout rates.

The Evidence and The Future

The importance of student engagement isn’t just anecdotal. Organizations like the EdWeek Research Center consistently highlight the link between high levels of engagement and positive academic outcomes. Factor analysis in numerous case studies shows that behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement are all predictors of academic achievement. From university students to middle schoolers, the principle holds true: engaged students learn more.

The educational environment is also evolving. The rise of online learning has presented new challenges and opportunities for fostering connection. Here, AI supports can provide additional support, offering personalized pathways and freeing up the teacher to focus on the human elements of teaching…building those strong relationships, facilitating group discussions, and providing meaningful feedback through a peer review process.

Education reform is an ongoing process, but at its heart, it must be about igniting a love for learning. It’s about understanding that student motivation is the engine, and student engagement is the observable behavior that shows that engine is running. By focusing on relationships, uncovering student intent, overcoming barriers, and championing student-inspired work, we stop managing classrooms and start nurturing minds. We stop teaching subjects and start teaching students.

In doing so, we don’t just improve test scores; we foster the personal growth, problem-solving skills, and necessary skills that will empower this generation to thrive long after they leave our classrooms. The driving force for their academic success and personal growth lies within them; our job is to create the conditions under which it can flourish.

This article was originally published on August 2, 2021.