ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a vignette to contextualize the basic concepts of motivation. It provides a theoretical orientation to place motivation in a broader understanding of the whole student, considering the social and cultural factors that support or hinder motivation. The chapter reviews the different motives that fuel motivation and what types of motivation are most helpful for both short-term and long-term outcomes. Students' beliefs, their environment, and the requirements and conditions needed for academic success influence students' motivation and their performance and behavior in school. Teachers need to consider not only the various motives of students, but also the motivational potential embedded in classrooms as social settings. Research on motivation has broadened from decontextualized experiments to research in classrooms, from a focus on stable traits to dynamic person–task–social context relationships, and from a focus on cognitive aspects to consider emotions as well. The chapter concludes with strategies to foster student motivation.
