How motivation affects academic performance?

As a former educator of over a decade, I often think about what motivates people to learn academically. It is a common issue that clients come into treatment with, and much of the focus can be spent identifying why academic performance is a struggle. From an early age, children are taught to listen to their parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, and anyone in leadership. More often than not, people associate feelings and thoughts of either a positive nature or negative one to their many life leaders and facilitators. This is, of course, natural, but it can also impede successful academic learning and success. Children learn to follow the rules and externally please, and sometimes this is followed through in school. If the natural inclination to want to learn is not as strong, intrinsic drive and internal motivation can suffer. Externally people will report that they will do well in school for fear of failure, losing privileges, or getting a lot of satisfaction from pleasing their parents or teacher, or both. Some people who grow up in less than healthy environments have been known to use academics and learning as their escape, motivation, and identity towards an adult life they can one day control.

The motivation that matters

Any motivation is good, right? Yes and no. There is nothing wrong with having some external motivation for doing well in school and life. The internal motivation a person begins to identify in academic performance can make all the difference in the world! Motivation affects academic performance in so many ways. The intrinsic motivation and some external, can catapult a student to continue learning when they are discouraged, ask for help when they need it, and follow through on goals they set academically. The forethought that motivation brings is behavioral, emotional, and cognitive. A person imagines themselves doing well, which can often act as the continuous motivation needed to push through struggles academically. Additionally, motivation can assist in bypassing whether or not a teacher is likable. That person wants to do well, not only for the grade but for themselves. In treatment, there are ways to consider and discuss the multifaceted reasons for doing well, and this alone can act as a motivator. Clear goals, a study and learning plan that works, a balanced lifestyle, and knowing one’s support systems can all bring about continued academic performance and success motivation.