School motivation and its influence on academic performance

The concept of school motivation refers to a series of emotional aspects that are key in the student’s academic results. School motivation is important from the first years of kindergarten to pre-university courses, if parents and teachers manage to encourage a positive attitude towards their own education, their academic performance will be better.

At Laude San Pedro International College we know that academic performance is related to the personal motivation of each student, our teaching team works daily so that our students are involved in their own education with the best attitude.

Next, we will analyze what school motivation is, how we can reinforce it and how we perceive motivation in a school-age student.

What is school motivation?

The concept of school motivation refers to a student’s willingness to develop his or her own academic potential. A motivated student will be willing to work daily to improve his or her own education; on the contrary, an unmotivated student will abandon certain study-related habits, which will have a negative impact on his or her educational results. 

The academic period is very long, it usually begins around three years and usually ends after completing university studies, during this time, it is very important that the student has the energy and motivation necessary to maintain an adequate academic level. Motivation is essential, especially during periods that require a higher effort.

The emotional level and its motivational influence

On many occasions, both parents and teachers emphasize rational factors that can help the student’s motivation. A better job, a better salary, working in what the student chooses, are some of the reasons that can motivate the student, however, the main stimuli for study are emotional.

The emotional level is basic for a person of school age to maintain an adequate level of studies. The evaluation of results in the present, avoiding focusing on the objectives in the long term, helps the child to perceive the results immediately and to want to continue studying.

A personalized study program, attentive to their demands and needs, is also fundamental for the emotional aspect of the student. A person who is in the process of training needs a suitable environment, in which he can have everything he or she needs to develop his abilities. 

The educational programs that help to discover interesting aspects of reality, through practical teaching, also have a very positive impact on their motivation and emotional aspect. In our school, we have the most advanced learning spaces, so that they can learn based on practical experiences.

School motivation during adolescence

Secondary and high school courses include technical subjects, which will be of vital importance during their university years. During this period, their interest and motivation can wane. 

Knowing how to increase school motivation during this stage is very important, so that their academic results continue to be satisfactory. It is important that they feel useful, they should perceive their grades as a positive reinforcement that allows them to train for their future, but whose benefits are demonstrated in the present.

It is also important that they feel autonomous. The learning process during school age can be very mechanical, during adolescence it is important that they participate in their own decisions, also in academics, it is at this age when they begin to make decisions for themselves, which will be important for their future.

The relationship with their teachers and peers will also be important. During adolescence, interpersonal relationships have a crucial influence on the emotional level, the immediate environment should be an extra motivation to achieve positive results. 

The student as the protagonist of the learning process

Regardless of age or academic stage, a student must know that he or she is the protagonist of his or her own intellectual development. When we analyze how to measure school motivation or how we can reinforce it, it is important to take into account the child’s opinion and reinforce attitudes related to his or her own perception of his or her education.

In a classroom there are several students, however, each one of them is a particular educational project, with its own particularities and needs. At Laude San Pedro International College we have created a student-centered academic environment, so that each student is truly the protagonist of his or her own learning process. Maintaining their motivation during all the educational stages allows us to reinforce the emotional aspect that study implies, and improves their academic results. Our teaching team is in charge of reinforcing their attitudes, based on their own personal qualities.

The importance of working on school motivation

Any emotional aspect related to motivation can be reinforced. In the case of school motivation, the important thing is that the student perceives certain values both immediately and in relation to their future.

Motivation begins in the present moment, for a student, the subject matter he learns must be interesting, it is our job to make him see this knowledge as something useful, encouraging in him a desire to continue learning. 

Immediate positive reinforcement is also a good way to maintain a positive spirit towards study. Good grades are not only a guarantee for their future, they are a success in the present, it is important that they receive the emotional support they deserve at all times. 

Methodology is also an important factor to reinforce their interest in the subject they are learning. In our school we have developed an academic method that takes into account their motivation and the emotional aspects that will allow them to develop their abilities, from the first years of kindergarten to pre-university courses.

Our goal is to make them perceive their education as a process of continuous improvement, which goes beyond the academic period. Learning means improving and always being willing to acquire new knowledge. Our students obtain the best grades because they are aware of the importance of their own education, both in the present and in the future.