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About Motivating At-Risk Students
By Tabina Adam, Ed.D., Principal, East Orange School District
While the literature varies in Intervention (RTI), providing tiered and conclusions from the first research
interventions for improving deficient question: What classroom factors,
terms of a precise definition skills with this population, educators if any, facilitate motivation to excel
for at-risk students, there are equally challenged to recognize academically for urban eighth-grade
is at least one point of the critical role of motivation to the at-risk youth? The findings from this
success of the entire intervention plan.
study confirmed other research in the
agreement: at-risk students As an educator, my own challenges area of at-risk student motivation and
struggle academically and with inspiring and maintaining at- may prove to be valuable as schools
work to create equitable learning
are in danger of failure risk student motivation over the last environments for all students.
13 years meant that when it came
time to complete research as part
(Alfassi, 2003). Research adds of my doctoral journey, there was What Factors Facilitate
that the motivation and self-efficacy no education issue more pressing Motivation?
levels of at-risk students are low to me than that of at-risk student
resulting in increased academic stress motivation. Utilizing a qualitative In the study, teachers embraced the
(Solberg, Caristrom, Howard, & Jones, research methodology, I documented opportunity to share their experiences
2007). Further, other studies revealed the perceptions of 18 core teachers with motivating at-risk eighth grade
that by increasing student motivation, of urban 8th grade at-risk students students. The two themes that
academic performance increases in response to three research emerged in response to the factors
(Dicintio and Gee, 1999; Cardetti questions (Adam, 2018). This article that facilitate motivation, included (1)
and McKenna, 2011). As districts summarizes the key themes, patterns caring and motivated teacher and (2)
and schools implement Response to student directed learning
Educational Viewpoints -52- Spring 2020
