How to Assess Achievement and Motivation

Assessing achievement and motivation helps educators teach students.

Assessing student motivation and achievement helps educators teach. When students are motivated to learn they are more likely to persist even when challenged. They eventually achieve higher levels of academic success. By monitoring motivation levels, teachers can improve academic outcomes.

Motivational Influences

When a student is motivated, he is inspired to pursue greater academic goals. Underlying motivations can include grades, entrance to college, social acceptance or parental approval. A teacher's classroom policies, practices and procedures can also influence student motivation.

Assessment

Teachers usually correlate a student's motivation with her achievement. High achievers are motivated; low achievers are not. Achievement can be observed either formally or informally. Formal assessment includes tests, quizzes, oral presentations and homework. Informal assessment includes observations, verbal or written questioning and discussion.

Research

The Longitudinal Research on the National Certificate of Educational Achievement and Student Motivation and Achievement made several findings related to achievement and motivation. How a student perceives his teacher significantly affects his motivation to perform well in school. Older students who participate in limited (less than 10) hours a week of activities outside school also show increased motivation and achievement.

References

• Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation: Toward a More Complete Picture of Student Learning - Assessing Students' Motivational Beliefs
• Education Counts: Motivation and Achievement at Secondary School