In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, understanding how students approach learning is crucial for fostering meaningful engagement and academic success. One of the most insightful concepts in this area is Achieving Motivation and Approach, a framework that encourages students to strategically navigate their learning journey by balancing surface-level understanding with deeper exploration. This concept, discussed in John Hattie’s seminal work Visible Learning: The Sequel (Hattie, 2021), provides educators and learners with actionable strategies to cultivate intrinsic motivation and enhance academic performance.
What is Achieving Motivation and Approach?
Achieving Motivation and Approach refers to a student’s ability to be strategic in their motivation—knowing when to focus on surface-level knowledge, when to delve deeper into relationships between concepts, and when to prioritize mastery or performance goals to meet external expectations (Hattie, 2021). Unlike fixed approaches to learning, this model emphasizes adaptability, empowering students to tailor their efforts based on the demands of the task and their personal goals.
For instance, a student might adopt a surface approach when encountering unfamiliar content, focusing on foundational facts and terminology. However, as they grow more comfortable, they can transition to a deeper approach, exploring connections between ideas and applying critical thinking skills. Finally, when preparing for assessments or presentations, they may shift toward a performance-oriented approach, aiming to demonstrate their knowledge effectively to teachers, peers, or family members.
Why Does Achieving Motivation Matter?
Research has shown that students who exhibit strategic motivation tend to perform better academically because they are more engaged and self-regulated in their learning processes (Hattie, 2021). By teaching students to recognize the appropriate approach for different tasks, educators can help them develop a growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (Dweck, 2006).
Moreover, achieving motivation aligns closely with the concept of self-efficacy, or a student’s belief in their ability to succeed (Bandura, 1997). When students understand how to adjust their learning strategies based on context, they become more confident in their capabilities, which in turn fuels further motivation.
Practical Strategies for Cultivating Achieving Motivation
To foster achieving motivation in students, educators can implement several evidence-based practices:
- Set Appropriately Challenging Goals
Goals should strike a balance between being achievable and challenging enough to inspire effort. According to Hattie (2021), appropriately challenging goals provide the preconditions for student engagement and intrinsic motivation. For example, instead of assigning generic homework, teachers can design tasks that require students to apply newly acquired knowledge in novel ways. - Encourage Metacognitive Reflection
Teaching students to reflect on their learning processes helps them identify which strategies are working and where adjustments are needed. Activities like journaling or self-assessment can promote metacognition, enabling students to take ownership of their education (Hattie, 2021). - Model Flexible Thinking
Educators can demonstrate how to switch between surface, deep, and performance approaches depending on the situation. For instance, during a science lesson, a teacher might first introduce key terms (surface), then guide students in analyzing case studies (deep), and finally ask them to present findings to the class (performance). - Provide Timely Feedback
Feedback plays a pivotal role in helping students refine their approaches. As Hattie notes, effective feedback focuses not only on what students did right or wrong but also on how they can improve moving forward (Hattie, 2021). This iterative process reinforces the idea that learning is an ongoing journey rather than a static outcome. - Foster a Growth Mindset
Emphasizing effort over innate talent encourages students to embrace challenges and persist in the face of setbacks. Dweck’s research underscores the importance of praising effort rather than intelligence, as doing so promotes resilience and adaptability (Dweck, 2006).
Real-World Applications
Consider a high school mathematics classroom where students are learning algebra. At the start of the unit, the teacher introduces basic formulas and procedures—a surface-level approach designed to build foundational knowledge. As students gain confidence, the teacher incorporates problem-solving activities that require them to connect abstract concepts to real-world scenarios, encouraging deeper understanding. Finally, before the unit test, students engage in collaborative review sessions where they teach each other key concepts, reinforcing both mastery and performance goals.
This progression mirrors the principles of achieving motivation and approach, demonstrating how educators can scaffold learning experiences to maximize student potential.
Conclusion
Achieving Motivation and Approach offers a powerful lens through which to view student learning. By equipping students with the tools to adapt their strategies based on context, educators can nurture not only academic achievement but also lifelong learners who are curious, resilient, and self-directed. As John Hattie reminds us, “The biggest effects on student learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching” (Hattie, 2021, p. X). In embracing this philosophy, we create classrooms where every learner has the opportunity to thrive.
References
- Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. W.H. Freeman and Company.
- Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
- Hattie, J. (2021). Visible Learning: The Sequel. A Synthesis of Over 2,100 Meta-Analyses. Routledge.