Motivation Issues
There is no doubt that the education approaches have changed greatly in the XXI century compared to the ones that used to be major advances in the late 90ies. With a major breakthrough in both theory and practice, the pedagogy of the new era is pushing the envelope by offering new educational methodologies that tie in education and other fields. Which is even more inspiring, the latter is aimed not at distilling a perfect teaching method and the ultimate approach, but to discover as many new possibilities in education as possible. However, one thing remains unchanged – providing students with motivation for learning is still the highest priority in the teaching process.
When considering the specifics of learning in the XXI century, one must mention that the key change in the Australian education system concerns the teacher-student relationships. While previously, schools followed a stereotypical model of the teacher only teaching the subject and students only attending classes, in the present-day world, the relationships between teachers and students are viewed through a more objective and pragmatic lens. One might hardly believe that the possibility of a conflict between a teacher and a student and the possible means to tackle this conflict are quite recent additions to the Australian educational program.
Another issue that deserves a thorough discussion is the motivation problem. There is no secret that motivating students is the key priority in the modern education system. However, helping students become invested in a subject is far more difficult than it might actually seem. Nagel’s work offers a lot of food for thoughts concerning the driving force behind the students’ work on their school projects – or a complete lack of motivation, for that matter.
Considering the phenomenon of motivation a behavioral component, the given work explores the student-teacher relationships not only as of the stereotypical disciple-and-mentor relationship but also as a process of getting to know a different person and trying to see the world through the prism of his/her principles. As Nagel explains, the essence of being a teacher is not merely making the students learn the basic information required for the curriculum, but also understanding the students, learning more about their character features and trying to address these specifics of their characters when conveying the key message of the lesson.
According to Nagle, by understanding the way in which the students view reality, a teacher can develop a strategy to motivate the students for further learning and even self-education. Thus, the chapter is devoted to the exploration of the culture of a typical XXI century student, who, as it turns out, is quite different from the students of the previous era.
Providing a number of terms that can help to define the specifics of a modern student, starting with a “digital native” to more complex epithets like “neuroplasticity,” Nagel draws a very precise portrait of a present-day student, therefore, helping the readers approach the concept of motivation for a modern student. Reaching the final stage of his discussion eventually, Nagel provides a very graphic description of what motivates a present-day learner.
According to Nagel’s basic findings, the more a teacher is invested into what interests his/her students, the more motivated the latter become. Therefore, Nagel makes a revolutionary statement that teaching might not be only about helping the students acquire the necessary skills and providing them with the information demanded by the curriculum, but also raising their enthusiasm by taking interest in their opinion, working on a teacher-student bonding and, therefore, raising the students’ motivation in learning.
As it turns out, according to Nagel’s work, motivation is also crucial for creating a specific environment in school. According to Nigel, environmental factors are especially important for neuroplasticity, which means that students are able to absorb new information several times faster and with much more efficacy than when the environment is out of chord with the topic of the lesson or is completely unsuitable for learning and teaching purposes.
It would be wrong, however, to claim that in the past, the motivation issue was never brought up. A comparatively old concept, motivation has been the bulk of numerous educational theories for a long time. In the XXI century, however, motivation seems to have gained an additional connotation, thus, being taken to a completely new level. As Nagel says, student motivation remains the key priority, and by getting involved into the lives of their students, teachers can analyze the factors that stress the students out and, thus, distract them from learning. Once the obstacles are out of the way, the learning process is bound to be successful.
Change in Schools
According to what Groundwater-Smith et al. say, several characteristic features of the XXI-century learning and students can be specified. One of the boldest decisions made in the given sphere over the past few decades, according to Groundwater-Smith et al., is the change in the attitudes towards the gender issue in schools. The given change was manifested by the creation of schools where boys and girls could study together, as an alternative to the schools that were designed solely for boys or for girls.
The given change has provided ample opportunities for female students to develop professionally instead of learning the subjects related only to household and leading only to learning to become a housewife. Therefore, Australian education has motivated girls and young women to grow as professionals, stressing the necessity to develop new skills in the competitive environment of the XXI century. As the research conducted by Groundwater-Smith et al. says, the students of the XXI century will have to face the following challenges at school:
- Learning to know.
- Learning to do.
- Learning to live together, learning to live with others.
- Learning to be. (Groundwater-Smith et al., 2009, p. 29)
Another important change that occurred to the Australian educational system and, therefore, its educational establishments was the update on learning programs, as well as the ways in which these programs were implemented (Groundwater-Smith et al., 2009, p. 25).
Rethinking the changes that schools in Australia are undergoing at the moment, one must admit that these changes are inevitable; moreover, they are crucial for the schools’ proper functioning. Although one might find these changes very hard to adjust to, they are still a part of the progress and, therefore, must be accepted. Hence, the teachers’ and students’ ability to adapt to these changes shows the level of involvement of the former and motivation of the latter.
However, in some schools in Australia, the process of adopting the required changes seems to have been somewhat slackened. The given phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the students do not have the proper motivation to accept the changes and move on with their studying. The reasons beyond this lingering are quite understandable; as the research by Groundwater-Smith et al. says, the process of change involves restructuring not only the relationships between students and teachers but also numerous alterations of the curriculum, changes I the school policy and reconsideration of the school’s financial policy. Hence, not all schools are ready to accept the necessary changes, given the costs that they will have to take. There are many solutions to this problem, yet to most efficient one seems to hold fundraisers.
It would be wrong, however, to claim that the changes that the Australian schools have undergone drastic changes over the past few decades. Compared to the principles adopted in the Australian schools several decades ago, the current innovations are rather unnoticeable, according to what some of the Australian dwellers say: “Oh well, schools are really the same the world over. The teachers are the bosses and the kids learn” (Groundwater-Smith et al., 2009, p.19).
Although the given remark was made in a rather jokingly manner, there is a grain of truth in it – the key principles of learning at school have not changed, i.e., the student-teacher relationships are still based on patronizing and tutoring. The given feature of the modern Australian schools, however, should not be considered regressive; instead, it should be viewed as the fact that the fundamental principles of learning have been upgraded towards new standards of learning and now incorporate not only pedagogical ideas, but also the principles of students’ psychology, organizational behavior, and knowledge management.
Reference List
Groundwater-Smith, S. et al. (2009). Rethinking today’s secondary school. In S. Groundwater-Smith et al., Secondary schooling in a changing world (2nd ed.) (pp. 17–37). South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning. Web.
Nagel. M. C. (2011). Understanding and motivating students. In R. Churchill, P. et al. Understanding and motivating students. Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Web.