Student Motivation & Engagement

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to get students involved and active in learning and classroom activities
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Teaching Opinion Student Laziness Is a Myth. Here's Why
Holding fast to the idea that students are lazy leaves no room for understanding what got in the way of their success.
Kyle Coppes, March 13, 2024
4 min read
Illustration of a bright vibrant school where students feel welcomed. In the background the sky is filled with enthusiastic raised hands.
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School & District Management Opinion 5 Strategies to Combat Student Disengagement
When principals get serious about building a more inclusive school community, it doesn’t just benefit students, but teachers as well.
Michelle Singh, March 12, 2024
5 min read
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School Climate & Safety Want to Tackle Attendance Apathy? Students Will Show You How
There’s no one-shot solution to chronic absenteeism, but listening to students is a good way to begin.
Olina Banerji, March 4, 2024
5 min read
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on Student Engagement & Hands-On Learning
This Spotlight will help you learn about reducing student ambivalence towards math, proven strategies for reengaging students, and more.


March 1, 2024
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Teaching Opinion How Teachers Can Keep It Real for Students
Building curiosity is one way to make content matter to students.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 23, 2024
11 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion There Is a Better Way for Students to Ask for Feedback
Adam Grant draws from a personal example to demonstrate how anyone can get more useful input.
Adam Grant, February 14, 2024
1 min read
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Teaching Opinion Do I Really Have to Go to Summer School? How to Get Students to Change Their Minds
Students often view summer school as a punishment. Schools can take steps to shift that perception.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 14, 2024
9 min read
Kate Maxlow, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Hampton City Schools, who helped give students a voice in curriculum redesign, works in her office on January 12, 2024.
Kate Maxlow is the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in Virginia's Hampton City school district. She worked with students to give them a voice in shaping curriculum.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Curriculum Q&A Why One District Hired Its Students to Review Curricula
Virginia's Hampton City school district pays a cadre of student interns to give feedback on curriculum.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 5, 2024
3 min read
Kate Maxlow works with Ava Gomez, 8, left and Khalid Baldwin, 8, right, on a “breakout room” activity in Jade Austin’s second grade classroom at Samuel P. Langley Elementary School in Hampton, Va., on January 12, 2024.
Kate Maxlow, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Hampton City Schools, works with Ava Gomez, 8, left and Khalid Baldwin, 8, right, on a “breakout room” activity in a 2nd grade classroom at Samuel P. Langley Elementary School in Hampton, Va.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Student Achievement Leader To Learn From An Unorthodox Plan to Pay Students to Write Curriculum Is Raising Achievement
For Kate Maxlow, the director of curriculum in Hampton City, Va., engaging students and improving academic achievement go hand in hand.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 5, 2024
9 min read
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The Impact of Esports on Student Achievement
Discover the exciting world of esports in education, where the thrill of gaming meets valuable life skills.
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Teaching Should Students Get Rewards for Doing Their Work? What Teachers (and a Researcher) Think
The debate about giving rewards vs. fostering intrinsic motivation continues.
Madeline Will, January 31, 2024
5 min read
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Teaching Opinion Angela Duckworth on What the Research Says About Active Learning
What students think works best for their learning isn't necessarily what does.
Angela Duckworth, January 31, 2024
2 min read
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Teaching Opinion School Is Relevant. How to Help Students See That
Students often say they don't know why they have to learn something. Try these strategies to help them understand and care.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 26, 2024
9 min read
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Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Productive Struggle?
Answer 6 questions about productive struggle.
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