What motivates children?

How can we motivate children to do well at school and home?

Engendering motivation in children can be divided into two key areas: intrinsic motivators, i.e. the motivation that comes from within a pupil, such as having a sense of success when completing a task, and extrinsic motivation, that which is developed by external factors, like praise and stickers.

In this episode, Isabel and David are joined by an old friend, co-founder of the pod, Ross Borthwick, to consider the question of motivation.

In this discussion about education and the best way to inspire children, they drift perilously close to discovering the meaning of life! To find out more, you'll have to listen to the episode.

We are, as always, an independent and unfunded group of teachers and educators. If you like this episode, please do share it with friends and family, post it on social media and give us a review and a 5* rating. It all helps for a small pod out there in the big world of mega podcasters.

If you have an idea for an episode or there's something you'd like to talk to us about, get in touch by email: educationsensepod@gmail.com. You can also find Isabel, David & Ross on LinkedIn (though Ross if more likely to be found roaming the Munros and mountains of the Highlands when he's not teaching).

Links & References:

• Video about empathy-based classrooms - https://bit.ly/496MmUl
• Great advice about parents motivating at home - https://bit.ly/4jbGePs
• Interesting article on parents & praise from The Atlantic - https://bit.ly/48X2F61
• Harvard research about doing chores as a child being the secret to success - https://bit.ly/3Y3KtCN
• Worth the Effort: Start and Stick to Desirable Difficulties (2023), de Bruin et al https://bit.ly/3MDfjzT
• Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory (2021), Howard et al https://bit.ly/3N9qOyX
• It’s Ok, not everyone can be good at maths (2011), Rattan, Good, Dweck et al https://bit.ly/45jJlPk
• Who Perseveres in School (2026), Li & King https://bit.ly/4qg02TT
• A Room with a Viewpoint (2008), Goldstein et al https://bit.ly/3Y3KHK9
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (2012), Heath, C & Heath, D, Random House Business