ABSTRACT

Motivation and attention are critical to learning, yet learning how to activate these constructs in the classroom is not typically part of teacher preparation programs. It is often assumed that students come to school ready to learn and participate, and while this may be true for some students, it is not typical. Teachers who understand the differences in students’ readiness to participate in school often make efforts to develop engaging lessons that will interest their students, or they may introduce management plans that can have a negative effect on learning. Understanding the psychological constructs and neurological processes behind motivation and attention and how to utilize this knowledge in the classroom will increase the teacher’s ability to engage all students in learning. The two constructs of motivation and attention are inextricably connected. Motivation drives attention, and therefore the more motivated we are, the more likely we are to pay attention (Ormrod, 2009). There are a number of practices related to school that can affect children’s level of motivation and attention, such as rewards and punishment, verbal praise and feedback, social interaction, teacher and student expectations, and autonomy and control.