How do you, as a teacher, support internal motivation and keep it alive? What is the difference between internal and external motivation and how do these work? How can you create the joy of learning in your class or at your school?

Few things concern teachers more than student motivation. How we are able to engage students in activities in and outside the classroom is the key to a successful learning experience. Sometimes we speak of “unmotivated students” however, every student is motivated. They all have passions, hopes and put effort into what matters to them. If we want students to focus their attention and energy on the syllabus, they will need motivation to do it.

In schools, we tend to think of internal/external motivation as in finding joy in learning for understanding versus learning in order to get a reward (a sticker, a smiley face or a grade).
When we are able to outline the purpose of what we are teaching, when our students know their goals and can make a connection with their internal motivation and have a view of the future, everything becomes much meaningful.

Join us to practice and exercise ways to link YOUR teaching with THEIR motivation.

We’ll explore three programmes and approaches that Finnish schools use for strengthening the joy of learning:

Schools on the move – an initiative that focuses on learning by doing, having more physical activities and less sedentary time even when teaching maths, foreign languages or any other discipline of choice.

KiVa – an anti-bullying programme that balances the communication between pupils from different backgrounds and prevents bullying, with guided actions for teachers when a bullying case emerges.

Positive pedagogy – an approach that aims to transform the school community into a positive and strength-focused place. Every learner and teacher strengthens their positive behaviours by learning to use his or hers qualities and passions.