Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students' Motivation to Learn

The National Academies have long worked on issues related to education, focusing primarily on the scientific foundations of teaching and learning. With this report you have a look at a different ingredient in education—motivation—and the important role it plays in fostering academic achievement.

We all know that our interest in or desire to learn is critical to the amount of effort we are willing to put into a task, particularly if it means mastering difficult or unfamiliar material. What can policy makers, school administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, parents, or others do to influence motivation, so as to enable youth to remain engaged in learning throughout high school? This important report provides evidence that high schools can be designed to provide a challenging and rigorous program to all students, and it makes a compelling case for the real possibility of improving the quality of urban high schools throughout our nation.

This book discusses what changes hold the greatest promise for increasing student's motivation to learn in these schools. It looks at various approaches to reform through different methods of instruction and assessment, adjustments in school size, vocational teaching, and other key areas. Examples of innovative schools, classrooms, and out-of-school programs that have proved successful in getting high school kids excited about learning are also included.