How Can We Convince Students to Learn?

With a clear goal in mind, teachers need to convince students that pursuing it is worthwhile—but this can be challenging. Teachers could try to communicate the value of the action more effectively. If students don’t see the value of the action, teachers can help them to see it by highlighting the problem that the change solves, or its personal importance to them. If students don’t think it’s worth the effort, teachers can minimize the apparent costs and highlight immediate benefits (while highlighting potential losses to maintain effort and encourage risk-taking). Alternatively, teachers could use social influences to show that the action is desirable, by highlighting potential role models or emphasizing social norms.