What Really Motivates Students? It’s Not Just Rewards

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Teresa Wai See Ong, a Learning Support Specialist at Singapore University of Social Sciences, for SingTeach Virtual Staff Lounge

We often hear that motivation is needed among students when about to perform an action but what actually is motivation? According to Richard Ryan and Edward Deci (2000, p. 54), motivation is defined as “to be moved to do something”. When a person feels motivated, they have the desire and energy to work or play but when a person feels unmotivated, there is no impetus or inspiration in the person to do anything.

Motivation is subjective and cannot be evaluated using measuring terms, such as weight, distance, time or aspect. Everyone has different amount of motivation, and it varies according to different levels. Additionally, the orientation of motivation varies between each person because it concerns the underlying attitudes and goals that give rise to an action. For example, a student can be highly motivated to do their assignment given by their teacher due to their curiosity and interest to learn or they may want to finish it just to pass their subjects.

Theory of Motivation: Self-Determination Theory

One of the most popular theories of motivation is the Self-Determination Theory, proposed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci in 1985. In this theory, the different types of motivation are distinguished based on different reasons or goals that lead to an action. The most basic distinction is between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to doing something due to genuine interest, joy and/or satisfaction while extrinsic motivation refers to doing something with the use of external rewards or punishments and leads to a separable outcome.

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is a crucial element in the education sector because it results in learning to achieve systematically. It also leads to high-quality learning, creativity development and positive experiences. When a student begins their academic year, they are active and ready to learn and explore. This natural motivation is critical for cognitive, social and emotional development and does not limit to their schooling days but continues to develop upon graduation. Nevertheless, a student may be intrinsically motivated in one subject but not another. Such reaction is entirely normal because the student may be genuinely interested in that one subject but may not be so interested in another due to various reasons.

Extrinsic Motivation

Equally important in learning and exploration is extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation has often been characterized as a pale and impoverished form of motivation because students perform with an attitude of disinterest. However, if the extrinsic goal is self-endorsed, it becomes a strategy for successful learning. Usually after the first semester, the “freedom” to be intrinsically motivated becomes more demanding due to reasons such as having more challenging content and the need to start preparing for major examinations. Intrinsic motivation begins fading and becomes weaker as the student advances to the next semester/year. This is where extrinsic motivation comes in to motivate the student to continue and self-regulate their subjects. A sense of personal commitment starts to kick in within the student so that more positive self-perceptions can be developed to achieve better quality of engagement. This process is also known as internalization, which refers to a value or regulation by which an individual transforms the regulation into their own.

Amotivation

On the far end of the scale lies amotivation, which refers to the state of lacking an intention to act. When amotivation takes place, the student becomes disinterested to do anything, does not feel competent and does not believe in themselves. This situation leads to many consequences and should be reviewed to find the cause/problem.

Importances of Motivation

As motivation is an orientation towards learning, it impacts how a student moves forward or otherwise gives up. If a student has deep motivation to learn something, they will not give up easily and will pursue further when they encounter challenges including complex questions. Hence, why is motivation an important element?

Firstly, motivation helps to foster creativity and critical thinking. It pushes students to look for answers to questions they face, which indirectly promotes forward thinking. For example, when a student learns to figure out how to solve a problem in their given homework, motivation helps them to think harder and more critically. At the same time, they learn to ask thought-provoking questions in the process of solving the problem. When such processes take place, the student is using their cognitive skills rather than relying for responses from AI or copying from their peers.

Secondly, motivation cultivates resilience and self-assurance. When a student is engrossed in a task given by their teacher, they use less emotional and cognitive energy for concentration. Studies have shown that students who are intrinsically motivated are less stressful when performing the activities. When they are faced with low grades in an exam or harsh comments from their teachers, they bounce back easily because they have no fear of failure or criticism.

Thirdly, motivation and agency are inextricably connected concepts. Agency refers to a sense of purpose and autonomy in striving after one’s goals/targets. When a student becomes driven to reach their goal/target, they set a higher level of sense of purpose in directing their energy towards achieving the goal/target. Even with limitations, they find their way and forge their path. They constantly challenge themselves by testing out innovative ideas.

Tips to Cultivate Motivation among Students

First, encourage to practise growth mindset. Students who are keen to explore will exert more efforts than others. They more willingly to respond to their teachers during lessons. They are also more willing to engage with the struggle of thinking through the problem for solutions. It is vital for teachers to emphasize on the progress rather than the scores as growth mindset pushes students to continually challenge themselves during their journey.

Second, normalize the struggle. Students may give up easily when they feel that they cannot perform or fail. Teachers can help to disentangle this misconception by giving them support such as clues or hints in finding answers to the questions. Emphasising the values of asking for help may support those students who are falling behind or losing motivation for difficult tasks.

Third, develop optimally challenging, master-oriented goals. Different tasks have different goals and challenges. Each student responses differently. Some may be drawn in by their curiosity and belief while others may struggle due to various reasons. Hence, teachers can encourage them by setting learning goals rather than performance goals as they progress and reward them when they achieve each goal. However, remember that continuous tangible rewards often lead students to value the task less over time.

Next, create a comfortable learning environment. Despite the various ideas of playing music and displaying motivational posters in the learning environment, brains usually need a quiet space to stay focused and concentrate. Creativity and critical thinking take place when the brain flows without interruptions. Therefore, at certain times, independent activities should be given to students to observe their individual progress.

Lastly, acknowledge but do not dwell on potential difficulties. Students who believe they can succeed are more likely to achieve their goals. They are more motivated to complete a given task despite facing challenges. Some students may not want to complete the task when they encounter setbacks and end up obtaining answers from peers or AI/Generative AI. They may be emotionally drained and feel demotivated. During such times, it is critical to let them know that it is entirely normal and allow them to take a step back before moving forward. This helps them to understand and learn from the obstacles rather than dwell on them.

References

Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54-67.