Stimulate the intrinsic motivation and autonomy of your students

How to stimulate the intrinsic motivation of your students

• Tip 1: research and nurture your students' needs

  What do your students need during their education? What structure do they require, and which methods do they prefer? These are important questions to help you discover exactly what your students' wishes are, so that you can motivate them more intrinsically. For example: a lecturer reads in the course evaluation that students prefer learning about glucose metabolism via a case study rather than through theory. The lecturer could then choose to organize a teaching session around this topic, based on a case study. This way, the education remains consistent, but the teaching method aligns better with the students' needs.

• Tip 2: use the students’ feelings as motivation

  ‘This subject is simply important’ or ‘this is what is asked about on the exam’ are examples of external stimuli intended to motivate students. But internal stimuli, such as their own feelings, are much more motivating. Students who feel genuine interest in the subject from within invest more time and effort in learning, come to class prepared and are more attentive. Therefore, do not try to steer their behaviour from the outside, but instead stimulate their own interest, curiosity and wonder.

• Tip 3: encourage active participation

  Ensure that all students participate actively during a teaching session. This leads to greater autonomy, more opportunities for dialogue and a stronger sense of connection among the students and with you as the teacher. An important factor in this is the arrangement of chairs and tables in the classroom, as this facilitates interaction. Furthermore, use active learning methods in your teaching, such as buzz groups, debates or concept tests.

• Tip 4: give students responsibility for their own learning process

  Research shows that when students have more responsibility for their own learning, their motivation improves. There are various ways to encourage this. For example, conclude your lesson with questions to be discussed in the next session and assign a few ‘fun facts’ topics for self-study. Giving more responsibility alone is not enough; it is important that you, as a teacher, clearly communicate your expectations early in the course. During teaching sessions, you can transfer some of the responsibility from you as the teacher to the students.

• Tip 5: offer structured guidance

  Giving students more responsibility does not mean taking a passive role as a teacher. You still provide structure, guide students in the right direction and intervene when necessary. Aim for a balance between leading students and contributing your expertise. Research shows that combining autonomy support with strong structure leads to the best learning outcomes.

• Tip 6: offer optimal challenges

  Optimal challenges give students a sense of competence in their learning. This means tasks should be neither too difficult nor too easy - think of the zone of proximal development. This sense of competence strongly enhances intrinsic motivation. For example, students could prepare small topics and present them in groups. This not only supports autonomy and competence but also develops skills like presenting and collaboration. Participation in such activities should not be mandatory, allowing students who need more time the space to prepare.

• Tip 7: give positive and constructive feedback

  Do not focus solely on outcomes such as grades; also provide timely, positive and constructive feedback on the learning process. This helps students understand the gap between their current understanding and the desired level. A helpful sequence is: the student first reflects on what went well, followed by the teacher; then the student identifies areas for improvement and how to address them, followed by the teacher. Frame feedback as positive suggestions for improvement.

  Read more about giving and receiving feedback, including helpful videos, at ‘Everything you need to know about peer feedback’.

• Tip 8: provide a safe learning environment

  Create a safe learning environment by actively working on a warm, positive, and supportive atmosphere. This allows students to feel safe expressing their feelings, doubts, and questions. Positive interactions with you as a teacher ensure that students also become more interested in the subject, as this sense of connection strengthens intrinsic motivation. The sense of community among students and the connection to their future professional field, also contributes to this.

• Tip 9: make sure the students feel heard

  Listen to students with patience, empathy and interest when they express dissatisfaction with a particular subject or teaching method. After all, if you, as a teacher, dismiss negative feelings, students can sometimes lose all interest in the rest of the course. It is therefore important that students always feel heard, that their experiences are important to you as a teacher and that their constructive feedback also influences certain aspects of the education. Try not to judge when students express their feelings. For the mere sense of approachability that students have towards the teacher can provide the necessary impetus for students to study even on a ‘difficult’ day.

• Tip 10: actively communicate the value of ‘boring’ activities

  Not every student finds every class activity equally interesting, but low motivation can also negatively affect fellow students. Therefore, it is important to consider how you can still pique their interest. For example, if a student finds a particular activity or subject boring, it can help to clearly communicate why this specific activity is valuable to the learning process. You can also make the subject more relevant by finding an entry point into the students' everyday lives. When students better understand the value of a learning activity, they are more likely to choose to do it of their own accord, making their motivation more intrinsic.

• Tip 11: provide options

  To promote autonomy, give your students choices regarding, for example, the order of topics, the type of products they create, or the sources they use. This involvement in the planning and content of the course gives students a greater sense of ownership and connection to their education. As a result, they are more motivated to complete the course.

• Tip 12: watch out for controlling language

  Teachers who are more controlling are more likely to say things like ‘you must learn this’, ‘this is mandatory’ or ‘if you don’t do this, you will get a bad grade’. This kind of coercive language does not give students the opportunity to choose to learn the material themselves. When you phrase this as a suggestion, you offer more room for this and thus strengthen their intrinsic motivation. For example: ‘you can learn this’, ‘if you want to understand this topic well, reading this text will help’ or ‘if you don’t study this, you will likely miss the foundation for the next sessions’.

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