Introduction
If you are a tutor and have recently developed a course and are trying to recruit new students, or if you’ve struggled to keep students engaged after they’ve joined, you’ve definitely spent a lot of time considering two essential questions: Why do students enroll in my course? What can I do to encourage them to keep going?
Motivation is the key to life.
Almost every successful learning program revolves around motivation. Growing an online teaching course is an enormous challenge if you don’t have motivated students. Some educators believe that motivation is something that is beyond their control, that it is something that their students either have or don’t have. However, if you understand learner motivations, you may speak to them in ways that elicit those motivations, motivating them to continue.
Have you ever wondered what motivates people?
We all like things that are flashy, but for some reason, it isn’t enough to just have something shiny. People require more in order to be content with their lives and truly happy in their coaching. The types of motivation can vary depending on whom you ask. There are several different types of motivation that people can experience, which include: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within, whereas extrinsic motivation comes from external factors. Intrinsic motivations are things like the joy of learning for its own sake or the satisfaction of mastering a skill. Extrinsic motivators might include rewards like money or grades, punishments like getting in trouble, or social pressure to conform. While I feel intrinsic motives are more powerful and stay longer, this isn’t always the case. There are various types of internal and extrinsic motives, as we’ll see, and their pull can fluctuate over time. Let’s look at it more closely.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations
1. Incentive (Extrinsic)
An incentive is the simplest straightforward form of extrinsic motivation. Learners are more inclined to continue with your online coaching in India if they receive some type of reward for taking it, and for doing well. Incentives are frequently monetary, for example, a cash reward. If a learner’s motivation is solely based on incentives, he or she will abandon your course as soon as the incentive is no longer available. In contrast, incentives are frequently used in conjunction with other factors. For example, a student may wish to take your course but is having trouble justifying it due to other obligations. An incentive may be sufficient to persuade them to rethink how they spend their time in their coaching.
2. Competence (Intrinsic)
One of our intrinsic motives is simply a desire to learn for the sake of learning. The ability to learn is something that many people are born with. They enjoy learning new skills and knowledge and will continue to do so without much encouragement from others. All you have to do now is make sure your course aids them in achieving their objectives rather than hindering them. The disadvantage of this motivation is that learners are more likely to abandon your course if they become stuck or disappointed. If competency is your learners’ primary incentive, make an extra effort to support them while coaching them when they hit a snag.
3. Anxiety (Extrinsic)
Anxiety-based incentives appear to be negative at first glance, but they aren’t always. For example, fear may motivate a student to enroll in self-defense classes, but once the courses are completed, they will feel empowered. In other words, while the learner’s incentive may be a source of concern, the positive aspect of your coaching is safety and confidence.
4. Achievement (Intrinsic)
Students who are more task-oriented as opposed to those who are only interested in learning for the sake of learning. These learners, like those motivated by an external incentive, want something specific and are most likely setting goals and milestones to achieve it. For example, they might wish to prepare for an entrance exam preparation and have enrolled in your training class to help them prepare. They are not being forced to take the exam, and they do not see it as something they need to improve; all they want to do is cross “clear the entrance exam” off their bucket list. That’s a powerful enough intrinsic motivation to work with everybody.
5. Strength (Extrinsic)
When it comes to empowerment, many students enroll in classes because they want to make a difference in the world. Maybe they want to be environmental activists, but they need to have a certain certification before they can go out into the field. They have the authority to do so thanks to your course.
6. Creativity (Intrinsic)
At some point in our lives, many of us have felt the desire for a creative outlet. Finding a new method of creative expression can be more motivating than mere curiosity or the urge to check something off a to-do list. Your students may not need to excel at whatever they’re learning in order to be satisfied. Many people become artists without ever wishing to display their work to anybody else. Nonetheless, the urge to nurture a kind of creative expression drives them forward.
7. Social (Extrinsic)
How many of us have enrolled in a course because it was required of us, but have continued because of the social relationships we’ve made? I’m sure I have. A community’s social links are among the most potent motivators. They can dramatically change a learner’s experience of your course. Social incentives are another excellent example of an exterior motivation that is just as powerful as an internal one. There’s a reason why social media is such a powerful influencer. People enjoy bragging about their accomplishments.
8. Attitude (Intrinsic)
Finally, Some people are motivated by a desire to change their worldview. They wish to learn more about others, gain a better understanding of themselves, or assist others in changing their viewpoints. Or perhaps it simply makes them happy! If you’re teaching a course on interracial relations, self-help, or cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, you’re into a subject that is significantly influenced by attitudes.
Conclusion
The actual factors for how students attend classes vary, and they may shift over time. A student might begin taking a course as a result of an external inducement. They may continue to take other courses because they love the feeling of increased competency. Another learner might start a course because they wish to broaden their horizons and then finish it because of the social benefits they acquire. The more reasons you can give your students to stay with your course, the more likely they are to do so in the long run. The more you know about your students and their motivations, the better you’ll be able to meet their needs and motivate them to keep going.
Originally published at https://blogs.dynamind.co on December 20, 2021.
