“We cannot control or create motivation in classrooms, but we do have tremendous influence over it,” said, Teresa Balser, Fulbright Distinguished Chair, Dean (Teaching and Learning), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Australia.
Delivering a lecture on “Motivation in the Modern Classroom”, at the ICFAI University campus in Hyderabad, she said, “While the teachers expect students to attend classes, study, ask questions, participate and pay attention in the class, students, though highly motivated to learn, do not seem to be convinced that the classroom is the best place to learn.”
On the existing education system, Balser said that it was oriented towards the industrial age and is not aligned to the needs of the current era. Citing renowned educationist Ken Robinson, she said that education today seems to kill the ability of our children to indulge in divergent thinking as the systems are oriented towards commoditisation and standardisation, with a factory-like approach and production in batches.
It is necessary to create learning environments that engage students and provide them opportunities to learn. To improve motivation, attention has to be paid to space, people and delivery method, in addition to content, she added. Her advice to teachers is to be excited and enthusiastic in the classroom, especially as that is one thing which is in their control.
J Mahender Reddy, Vice-Chancellor of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE) in his address briefly explained how the University has designed its programmes to develop communication skills, reasoning ability and critical thinking among its students.