studying homework motivation

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)! 

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find: 

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them 
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you . 

So let’s get started! 

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away. 
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C. 

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels 

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, y ou get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. 

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!) 

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast 

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.) 

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later. 

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too. 

What’s Next? 

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!) 

Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!

Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

• Online Degree Explore Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees
• MasterTrack™ Earn credit towards a Master’s degree
• University Certificates Advance your career with graduate-level learning
• Top Courses
• Join for Free

How to Motivate Yourself: 11 Tips for Self Improvement

Achieve your goals with these science-backed motivation enhancers.

Setting a goal—anything from getting a degree or landing a new job to achieving a new level of physical fitness—is a big step toward improving your life. But following through to achieve what we’ve set out to accomplish can be challenging, especially on those days when motivation wanes. So how do you follow through on your commitments during those times when you just don’t feel like putting in the work?

We all lose motivation from time to time. When you’re feeling unmotivated, try one of these science-backed strategies to get yourself back on track toward your goal.

Put your goal on the calendar.

Make working toward your goal a habit.

Plan for imperfection.

Set small goals to build momentum.

Track your progress.

Reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones.

Embrace positive peer pressure.

Practice gratitude (including for yourself).

Do some mood lifting. 

Change your environment. 

Remember your “why.”

Self-motivation tips

Let's take a closer look at each of the above tips. Here, we'll break down these self-motivation techniques, detailing what they are and the science behind them.

1. Put your goal on the calendar.

One way to give a boost to your internal motivation is to create some external motivation: a target date. Whatever it is you’re aiming to accomplish, put it on the calendar. You may be working toward a goal with a set finish date built in. Examples include preparing for a test or taking a course with a fixed end date. 

If your goal lacks this structure, you can add it by deciding on a date by which you could realistically achieve your goal. 

Want to run a 5k or marathon? Sign up for a race on or near your target date. Considering a degree? Research the application deadline and write it down. Aiming to learn a new career skill? Register for a course and set a target date to finish. 

Having a target date not only helps you stay motivated, it also helps you track your progress—you always know how much further you have to go. This can have a big impact on your performance [ 1 ].

Tip: Setting a target date

Be realistic when setting your target date, but resist the urge to give yourself more time than you’ll need. Studies show that we sometimes perceive longer goals as more difficult, even when they’re not. This can lead to a greater likelihood of procrastination or quitting [ 2 ].

2. Make working toward your goal a habit.

When you make working toward your goal a habit—an automatic conditioned response—you no longer have to rely so much on feeling motivated. How do you turn a behavior into a habit?

Identify a trigger. 

Choose something that you already do everyday, like brushing your teeth or eating lunch, to be a trigger for the action you want to make a habit. Write out an “if-then” plan (also known as an implementation intention).

For example, if you want to create a habit of studying for a class everyday, your if-then plan might look like this:

If I pour my first cup of coffee, then I will spend five minutes on my math homework. 

To build consistency in exercise, it might look like this:

If I get up and brush my teeth, then I will immediately put on my workout clothes.

Making this plan and committing it to writing could increase the likelihood of following through [ 3 ].

Start small.

Notice that the above examples do not say that you’ll read six chapters of your textbook, watch two hours of lecture videos, or spend an hour sweating on the treadmill.

Getting started is often the hardest part on low-motivation days, and starting is much easier when the task is small: Five minutes of study or putting on your workout clothes [ 4 ]. 

These seemingly small actions can prime your mind for the task at hand, so the followthrough—a longer study session or a full workout—can happen more naturally with less mental resistance, according to The Science of Self Help [ 5 ]. 

3. Plan for imperfection.

It’s great to feel excited and confident about achieving your goal, but it’s also possible to be too optimistic [ 6 ]. Not every day will go exactly as planned, and that’s okay. Life happens. 

One way to boost motivation on difficult days is simply to plan for them. As you think about your goal, jot down a list of the things that could get in your way. If you’re taking an online course, this could include:

Losing internet access

Getting a phone call in the middle of a study session

Having a child home sick

Feeling stuck on a difficult concept or assignment

If your goal is to go running everyday, some obstacles might include:

Rainy weather

Getting asked to stay late at work during the time you usually run

We can’t predict everything that could happen, but we can predict those obstacles that are likely to happen from time to time based on our unique circumstances. 

Once you have your list, make a plan for how to handle the obstacle. How can you plan ahead for when your internet goes out? Maybe you could keep a few lecture videos downloaded to your phone or computer for offline access, or you could identify a nearby coffee shop that offers free wifi. 

Now when that obstacle pops up, instead of losing motivation and feeling deflated, you have a plan in place to keep the momentum going.

Keep in mind that for some obstacles, missing your task is a perfectly acceptable plan.  

The WOOP method

Next time you’re setting a goal for yourself, practice the WOOP technique, pioneered by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen. This stands for Wish , Outcome , Obstacle , and Plan . What is your wish? What would be the outcome of that wish coming true? What main obstacle stands in your way? What can you do to overcome that obstacle?

4. Set small goals to build momentum.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another.” 

Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave this advice during his commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. The former Navy SEAL was onto something.

Research shows that frequent small successes can build a sense of momentum that can in turn drive long-term success, especially early in the process [ 7 , 8 ]. Whatever your big goal may be, start by breaking it down into smaller chunks. Getting a new job might be a big goal. Smaller goals could be updating your resume, making a portfolio website, earning a certification, or attending a networking event.

Did you know?

Setting goals at the start of a new week, month, or year can naturally lead to increased motivation [ 9 ]. We tend to mentally associate these temporal landmarks with new beginnings while creating mental distance from any perceived shortcomings in our past. Now that’s what we call a motivational Monday.

5. Track your progress.

Seeing progress can be highly motivating [ 10 ]. You’ll find many tools out there to help you track your goals. This could be as simple as a to-do list or calendar where you can cross off tasks or days as you complete them. Or you might opt for a free tool like Trello , which allows you to create a personalized digital task board to categorize your big goal into daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly sub goals.

Another option is to draw a progress bar on a sheet of poster board or paper. Hang it somewhere where you’ll see it regularly, and fill it in as you get closer to your goal.

What is a SMART goal?

Sometimes the best goals are SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. 

6. Reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones.

It feels good to be rewarded for our work. But rewards can also improve motivation and performance. Rewarding yourself for reaching small milestones and completing big goals could boost your interest and enjoyment in the work you’re doing [ 11 ]. 

These rewards don’t have to be big or cost a lot of money. Here’s a quick list of ideas you could use to reward yourself:

Take a short break

Go for a walk outside

Enjoy your favorite snack

Read a chapter of your favorite book

Spend a few minutes meditating

Listen to an episode of your favorite podcast

Plan a night out with friends

Play an online game

Visit a free museum or attraction

Have a long bath or shower

Call a friend or family member

Spend a few minutes making your own reward list so that you’re ready to celebrate your wins, big and small.

7. Embrace positive peer pressure.

You’re ultimately the one who puts in the work to achieve your goals. But other people can be a great motivator. 

Research shows that feeling like you’re part of a team can lead to boosted perseverance, engagement, and performance, even if you’re working alone [ 12 ]. Depending on your goal, this might mean joining a study group, running team, gym class, professional organization, or virtual challenge. 

Another study suggests that sharing your goal with someone whose opinion you value can strengthen your commitment to attaining that goal [ 13 ]. For work goals, consider sharing with a mentor or supervisor. You might choose to share educational goals with a teacher or academic advisor, or fitness goals with a coach or fellow gym member who you admire.

8. Practice gratitude (including for yourself).

It might seem like gratitude would lead to complacency and acceptance of the status quo. Yet some studies have shown otherwise. Feelings of gratitude can:

Motivate self-improvement [ 14 ]

Make us feel connected to others (i.e. part of the team) [ 15 ]

Enhance motivation across time, beyond the duration of the gratitude practice [ 16 ]

Induce a sense of wanting to give back [ 17 ]

Improve physical and mental health, as well as sleep [ 18 ]

There’s more than one way to foster an attitude of gratitude. Spend the first five minutes after you wake up going through all the things you feel grateful for. Better yet, write them down in a gratitude journal. Is there someone in your life you’re particularly grateful for? Write them a letter expressing your thanks. 

9. Do some mood lifting. 

A good mood has been linked to increased productivity, and improvement in both quality and quantity of work [ 19 , 20 ]. This doesn’t mean that you have to be positive all the time—that’s not realistic. But if you’re feeling sluggish about working toward your goal, a quick mood lift could be enough to get you started.

Need some ideas for how to boost your mood? You could try to:

Spend some time in nature (or at least get some sunlight) [ 21 ]

Look at some cute pictures or videos of animals on r/aww [ 22 ]

Watch funny videos on YouTube [ 23 ]

Exercise [ 24 ]

Adopt an alter ego (i.e. the Batman effect) [ 25 ]

10. Change your environment. 

Sometimes a change of scenery can help you approach your task with fresh eyes (and a new sense of motivation). This is called the novelty effect—a short-term boost that comes from altering your environment [ 26 ]. 

If you usually study at home, have a session at your local library. Do you always watch lecture videos on your computer? Try downloading them to your phone to watch outside in the park. Switch up your running route, or try a new exercise routine. 

11. Remember your “why.”

Why is this goal important to you? Why is that reason important to you? Why is that important to you? Keep digging until you get to your ultimate “why”—the core value that’s driving your goal. 

To further reinforce your “why,” set an alarm every morning to remind yourself to spend one or two minutes visualizing what success would look like. What would it feel like to achieve your goal?

What’s your career goal?

Empower yourself to achieve your career goals, big and small, with Coursera Plus . Get unlimited access to more than 7,000 courses, hands-on projects, and certificate programs to enhance your resume. Get started with a seven-day free trial.

Article sources

Maayan Katzir, Aviv Emanuel, Nira Liberman. " Cognitive performance is enhanced if one knows when the task will end ." Cognition 197 (April 2020).

Meng Zhu, Rajesh Bagchi, Stefan J Hock. " The Mere Deadline Effect: Why More Time Might Sabotage Goal Pursuit ." Journal of Consumer Research 45, no. 5 (April 2018): 1068-1084.

P.M. Gollwitzer. " Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans ." American Psychologist 54, no. 7 (1999): 493-503.

Benjamin Gardner. " Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice ." British Journal of General Practice 62, no. 605 (December 2012): 664-666.

The Science of Self-Help. " The Elements of Change: A Grand Unified Theory of Self-Help , https://scienceofselfhelp.org/articles-1/2018/11/28/the-elements-of-change-a-grand-unified-theory-of-self-help." Accessed May 18, 2023.

WOOP. " The science behind WOOP , https://woopmylife.org/en/science." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Seppo E. Iso-Ahola and Charles O. Dotson. " Psychological Momentum—A Key to Continued Success ." Frontiers in Psychology 7 (August 2016): 1326.

Stanford Graduate School of Business. " Focus on Small Steps First, Then Shift to the Larger Goal , https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/focus-small-steps-first-then-shift-larger-goal." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Hengchen Dai, Katherine L. Milkman, Jason Riis. " Put Your Imperfections Behind You: Temporal Landmarks Spur Goal Initiation When They Signal New Beginnings ." Psychological Science 26, no. 12 (November 2015).

ScienceDaily. " Frequently monitoring progress toward goals increases chance of success , https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151029101349.htm." Accessed May 18, 2023.

K. Woolley, A. Fishbach. " It’s about time: Earlier rewards increase intrinsic motivation ." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 114, no. 6 (2018): 877-890.

Association for Psychological Science. " Just Feeling Like Part of a Team Increases Motivation on Challenging Tasks , https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/minds-business/just-feeling-like-part-of-a-team-increases-motivation-on-challenging-tasks.html." Accessed May 18, 2023.

H.J. Klein, R.B. Lount Jr., H.M. Park, B.J. Linford. " When goals are known: The effects of audience relative status on goal commitment and performance ." Journal of Applied Psychology 105, no. 4 (2020): 372-389.

Christina N. Armenta, Megan M. Fritz, Sonja Lyubomirsky. " Functions of Positive Emotions: Gratitude as a Motivator of Self-Improvement and Positive Change ." Emotion Review 9, no. 3 (June 2017).

University of California, Riverside. " Gratitude and Self-Improvement in Adolescents , http://christinaarmenta.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/7/2/30720023/armenta_spsp_poster_2017_final.pdf." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Norberto Eiji Nawa, Noriko Yamagishi. " Enhanced academic motivation in university students following a 2-week online gratitude journal intervention ." BMC Psychology 9, no. 71 (2021).

Psychology Today. " Motivation and Gratitude: How They Can Go Hand in Hand , https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/comfort-gratitude/202105/motivation-and-gratitude-how-they-can-go-hand-in-hand." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Forbes. " 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round , https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/?sh=570a27a6183c." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Jeff Grabmeier. " Got up on the wrong side of the bed? Your work will show it ." Academy of Management Journal (April 2011).

Warwick. " New study shows we work harder when we are happy , https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/." Accessed May 18, 2023.

Gregory N. Bratman, J. Paul Hamilton, Kevin S. Hahn, Gretchen C. Daily, and James J. Gross. " Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation ." PNAS 112, no. 28 (July 2015): 8567-8572.

Hiroshi Nittono, Michiko Fukushima, Akihiro Yano, Hiroki Moriya. " The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus ." PLOS ONE 7, no. 9 (April 2012).

Dexter Louie, BA, Karolina Brook, MD, and Elizabeth Frates, MD. " The Laughter Prescription ." American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 10, 4 (September 2014).

The University Record. " Study suggests people should get moving to get happier , https://record.umich.edu/articles/study-suggests-people-should-get-moving-get-happier/." Accessed May 18, 2023.

BBC.com. " The 'Batman Effect': How having an alter ego empowers you , https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200817-the-batman-effect-how-having-an-alter-ego-empowers-you." Accessed May 18, 2023.

The Science of Self-Help. " Meal Prepping, The Novelty Effect, and "Structured Randomness , https://scienceofselfhelp.org/articles-1/2018/5/25/meal-prepping-the-novelty-effect-and-structured-randomness." Accessed May 18, 2023.

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Develop career skills and credentials to stand out

• Build in demand career skills with experts from leading companies and universities
• Choose from over 8000 courses, hands-on projects, and certificate programs
• Learn on your terms with flexible schedules and on-demand courses

• Plagiarism checker Do The Check
• Academic editing Ask For Help
• Samples database View Samples Base

9 Tips On How To Motivate Yourself To Do Homework

13 May 2021

Quick Navigation

How to inspire yourself to do homework, 9 tips for homework motivation, find your motivation and get your assignments done.

It is not a secret that lots of students know that feeling when you need to do your homework as quickly as possible but completely lack motivation for it. This causes much stress and leads to many problems. However, there is no way to cope with your tasks if you are not motivated. It is hard even to start working, especially if your assignment is big. This is why you should know the ways to motivate yourself and do your homework on time. A great way to get motivated is to break down your assignment into smaller tasks and set achievable goals. You can also use online services such as Papersowl to get help with your assignment. This way, you can be sure that the task will be done correctly and strictly to the deadline.

Most students don’t like to do assignments much and they search to pay someone to do my math homework . However, the lack of homework motivation is a normal thing. If a student spends much time studying in the class and has other activities like sports or a job, it will be difficult to also study in the evening.

If you are going to get motivated for doing your assignment, you can reach this goal. With time, it will be easier to start working on your assignments and do it on time, it will also help you to get better grades at your university.

You should understand that even the best students don’t always have the inspiration for doing such tasks. In months of training, they start working better, and now they are completely OK with doing any homework. That is why you are able to start now and try to get your homework done.

There are also students who have time and inspiration for it but don’t have the necessary knowledge, they are recommended to read literature from previous lessons and fill the gaps in their knowledge. The crucial thing here is to use good information sources.

Is writing essays your hobby?

Participate in our "Independence Day of the United States" essay writing competition and get a 12-month Quizlet subscription.

• Deadline: July 24, 2023
• Topic: Declaration of Independence
• Language: English
• Length: 1000-5000 words
• Font size: 11 or 12

You should read as many tips about it as possible, then you should pick the tips that you are going to use. Each teacher and student has their own source of motivation and different people need different tips. Look at what is most interesting and effective for you

Imagine the link between your current college or high-school homework and your objective in your academic career. If you do your assignment right, you will complete the course well. If you complete the course well, it will be much easier to write your dissertation and get the desired degree, this is how you see the connection between a small assignment and your academic career. If you still don’t have the motivation, you can use an  homework paper help  service.

There are different ways of how to motivate yourself, how to do homework fast and meet all your deadlines. You may not use all of them but you should know them if you need to do your tasks on time because it brings you more possibilities for studying and improvement.

Detect plagiarism in your paper for free

1. Turn Off Different Distractions

Many students watch TV or chat with friends online when doing homework. However, this approach is not right and it takes much more time to do homework when doing other things. You should turn off games, video streams, and TV when doing your assignments at home or in other places.

2. Try To Write For a Few Minutes

It is difficult to start a task that takes much time and students tend to postpone such tasks. You should try to work on it for 5 minutes. It will be much easier to continues if you have already started and you may keep studying even for an hour or more.

3. Read The Biographies Of Famous People

You may read biographies of people who have succeeded in their academic and other careers. It will be easier to start doing homework. Many people like to read quotations and citations, that is why it is recommended to read about the experience of popular people.

4. Think About The Advantages

Doing your assignment has many advantages for you. It lets you gain more knowledge, succeed in the academic career, and demonstrate your talents and skills. If you understand how many advantages there are, it will be easier to do your assignment.

Need help with writing a research paper?

Get your paper written by a professional writer

5. Create A Schedule

You should make a schedule and allocate time for learning. When it is time to start doing your assignments , you must do this task until it is complete. It also helps you master time management . You will be able to use such skills to do more things efficiently.

6. Try Different Techniques and Methodologies

Students usually think of when to do their assignments on different subjects. You should consider how to do homework. There are different ways of planning time, doing many tasks, setting priorities, and getting them done in very short terms. Just pick the techniques and methodologies that are most suitable for you.

7. Find the Right Focus

Don’t think that It is difficult but rather that you can do it. Don’t think how hard your assignment is but how it brings you knowledge and helps you to reach your objectives. It lets you get more inspiration to can you do my homework  and complete it fast.

8. Time and Place of Studying

Consider the time and place when it is easier to study, for example, there are students who like to learn information in libraries, at home, in public places. You should also know the time of a day when you study most effectively.

9. Take Breaks

Even if you need to do many tasks, it is necessary to take small breaks. If you don’t stop studying, you will get bored and it will be difficult for you to do other tasks. That is why you should take breaks, and talk to others as much as needed to refresh your motivation.

More than just a spell check

Editors on PapersOwl can edit your paper and give recommendations on how to improve your writing:

• Punctuation
• Sentence structure
• Academic style

Many students don’t have the motivation for homework, but they also don’t know how to fight it. However, there are many ways to get such motivation and start working on an assignment, and if you use these tips, it will be easier to start working on your assignment earlier.

If you still have no motivation to do homework, you should use online homework writing services . Their experienced writers are able to work on different papers and provide the results you need. Moreover, the prices for these services are competitive, so you can pay for homework assignments without breaking your budget.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback, readers also enjoyed, insider's guide how to beating turnitin.

Student Tips 91 likes

Redundancy in Writing: Guide on Succinctly Writing

Student Tips 77 likes

Draw Our Owl In Your Own Style (Art Competition)

Student Tips 64 likes

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Simply fill out the form, click the button, and have no worries!

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Study Skills
• Homework Skills

How to Concentrate on Your Homework

Last Updated: November 3, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Josh Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Josh Jones is the CEO and Founder of Test Prep Unlimited, a GMAT prep tutoring service. Josh built the world's first and only score guarantee program for private GMAT tutoring. He has presented at the QS World MBA Tour and designed math curricula for Chicago Public Schools. He has over 15 years of private tutoring and classroom teaching experience and a BA in Math from the University of Chicago. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 426,028 times.

Focusing on homework can be tough, especially when you’d rather be doing anything else. Maybe your attention keeps wandering back to your phone, your stomach is growling, or you just want to put your head down and take a nap. The good news is that you can beat these distractions and get back on track with a few easy changes to your study routine.

Move around or stretch while you work.

• Try sitting on an exercise ball or wobbly chair when you’re doing your homework. The movement may help you stay focused.

Fuel up with water and healthy snacks.

• Apple slices with peanut butter
• Nuts, especially almonds
• Greek yogurt
• Fruit salad
• Dark chocolate

Put away anything that might make it hard to concentrate.

• Some people actually concentrate better with a little noise in the background. If it helps you to have some quiet music on, that’s totally fine! But if you find that it distracts you, turn it off.

Block distracting apps and websites on your computer or tablet.

• For example, you might need to block apps or websites like Facebook or YouTube while you’re working.
• If you get alerts or notifications on your device, turn them off so they won’t distract you. The last thing you need is your tablet blowing up with Facebook notifications while you’re trying to work!

Work on one assignment at a time.

• Don’t try to text your friends or have a conversation with a family member while you’re doing homework, either.

Break your assignments into smaller tasks.

• For example, if you’re supposed to read a book chapter and write a report, start by skimming the chapter headings for important points. Then, read the whole chapter and take notes. Next, make an outline for your report. After that, write the report, and finish up by checking it for mistakes.
• If you have more than one assignment to work on, make a to-do list and put the hardest or most important projects first.

Redirect your attention if you notice your mind wandering.

• It can help to pick a specific thing to focus on to bring yourself back to the present. For example, pay attention to your breathing or to any sounds you can hear around you.
• If you’re working with a friend or family member, ask them to help you stay on track. They can say something like, “Are you focused?” or tap you on the shoulder if they notice you getting distracted. [9] X Trustworthy Source Understood Nonprofit organization dedicated to resources and support to people with thinking differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia Go to source

Fidget with something to help you focus.

• Fidgets are great concentration aids for some people, but are distracting for others. Don’t keep using a fidget if it’s taking your mind off your work.

Turn your homework into a game to make it more fun.

• You can also turn it into a game with a friend or family member. For example, take turns quizzing each other and give points for each right answer. Whoever gets the most points wins the game.
• Or, if you’d rather not play a structured game, try making up a story about what you’re doing. For instance, if you’re studying history, imagine yourself living in the time period you’re learning about.

Try working with a study buddy.

• You could even get together with a small group. Trade notes, quiz each other, or just hang out quietly while you all do homework together.

Take a break at least once an hour.

• You can also use a timer to make sure your breaks don’t go on too long. Remember, the sooner you get back to work, the sooner you can get it done!
• If you’re feeling really restless, frustrated, or distracted, it’s okay to take a break ahead of schedule. Give yourself a few minutes to unwind, then try again.

Pick a time when you feel awake and rested if possible.

• Make it a routine to do your homework at the same time each day. For example, if you’re an evening person, try doing it right after supper every night. [16] X Research source Having a schedule will make your work feel less overwhelming.
• You can’t always choose the perfect time to do your homework, but having a routine can still help you get in the zone when it’s time to work! Once you pick a time, try to stick to it.

Study in a quiet, comfortable spot.

• If you’re studying at home with your family, ask them to keep it down while you work.
• Be careful studying in your room—if you use a space where you usually sleep or relax, it’ll be hard to get into homework mode! Set aside a spot just for homework, and don’t do your work in bed. [18] X Research source
• Finding a good study space can be tough, especially if there are other people around. If you can’t find a quiet spot, put on some noise-canceling headphones. Listen to white noise or peaceful music without vocals to help you tune out background sounds.

Organize your study supplies.

• If you like to nibble while you study, set your snacks out before you get started.
• If there’s stuff in your study space that you don’t need, take a few minutes to clean it up or put it away before you start working. Put completed assignments in their folders and throw away any trash.

Move to a new study spot if you’re feeling bored.

• Even changing your usual study space a little can help. For example, put up some new decorations or move to the other side of the dining table.
• It seems weird, but just the right amount of background noise can actually help you concentrate! That’s one reason some people work better in coffee shops or study halls.

Reward yourself with something fun when you’re done.

• For example, you could watch an episode of your favorite TV show, play a game you like, or call up a friend.

Expert Q&A

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

• Try mindful meditation to help you focus and relax. [21] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source Look for mindful meditation videos online or use an app like Calm or Smiling Mind to help you practice. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to use your mindfulness skills when you need them—like when you’re doing homework. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/movement-and-learning/
• ↑ https://www.sacap.edu.za/blog/applied-psychology/how-to-concentrate-on-studies/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-ways-to-help-students-manage-digital-distractions-and-stay-on-track
• ↑ https://today.uconn.edu/2015/07/multitasking-increases-study-time-lowers-grades/#
• ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/tips-for-helping-your-child-focus-and-concentrate
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_focus_a_wandering_mind
• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/how-to-improve-focus-in-kids
• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/distractibility-inattention/child-trouble-focusing
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/10-ways-fun-study/
• ↑ https://www.washburn.edu/academics/center-student-success/student-success-collaborative/Navigate-Study-Buddies.pdf
• ↑ https://time.com/3518053/perfect-break/
• ↑ https://www.uindy.edu/studentcounseling/files/studyingfromhomeduringcoronavirusdukekunshanu.pdf
• ↑ https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210114-why-youre-more-creative-in-coffee-shops
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_practice_mindfulness_throughout_your_work_day

About This Article

To concentrate on your homework, start by settling into a quiet place and putting your phone away so it's not a distraction. Then, tackle your hardest or most time-consuming homework assignments first to get them out of the way. Try to finish each task before moving onto something else since jumping between assignments can disrupt your focus. Also, take 5-minute breaks every 30 minutes so your homework doesn't feel endless and you have something to look forward to. To learn how to stay motivated while doing your homework, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Aleisha Walker

Apr 26, 2017

Alexandra Castillo

Sep 4, 2016

Catalina De Notta

Srija Reddy

Jun 20, 2019

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework

Finding the Motivation to Do Homework

Homework often finds itself on the list of things that stress young people out the most. It's not easy to stay on top of the ever-increasing amounts of homework that is assigned and many students find themselves unmotivated to do homework. Unfortunately, homework tends to make up a large proportion of a student's grades nowadays, but studies have shown that homework does have positive influences on memory as well as long-term career growth. So in this article, you will learn how to motivate yourself to do homework so that it’s more fun. The more fun you have doing homework the faster it will get done and the more time you will have to enjoy other activities! 

How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework?

Find a good spot.

People tend to believe that the only place you can get work done is on a desk or table but this isn't necessarily true. Everyone is different and everyone has different preferences for where they learn the best. Try various locations around you to find a place that motivates you to do homework. You can lay on a bed and spread all your materials around you, go outdoors and sit on the grass under a tree, go to a library and work around people, sit at a cafe, Etc. Take the time to explore and find a place you enjoy doing homework. Once you find a spot, don't feel like you always have to study there, anytime you lack motivation make a change of scenery and it might help.

Break tasks up

One of the most demotivating things about homework is just how much can pile up. When you feel overwhelmed by the amount of homework you have, break it up into smaller tasks. 3 chapters of physics to read sounds daunting, but 1 chapter every hour is much easier. 100 math problems is a lot but five sets of 20 are more manageable. Combine this with some of the tips right below to improve motivation even more.

Give yourself rewards

It's possible to train yourself to be more motivated to do homework. A simple trick based on operant conditioning is to give yourself a reward every time you are done with a task. The reward releases dopamine in the brain and eventually, you will connect finishing a task to feeling good without the need for a reward. A reward can be absolutely anything that you enjoy. For example, after every 30 minutes of reading, you can watch a 5-minute YouTube clip, play a video game for 10 minutes, or treat yourself to a cookie.

Take a break

Studies recommend that you should take a 15-minute break after every hour of work. This isn't just true of homework and studying but true in the workplace as well. This is different from giving yourself a reward because rewards are based on finishing tasks whereas taking a break is dependent on time. Apart from taking a break every hour or so, anytime, you feel demotivated and it feels like you are forcing yourself to do homework. Taking a break for an hour will calm your mind and let you focus on the task better when you come back to it.

Set the mood 

Being in a positive state of mind when you start a new homework task is one of the best ways of dealing with the question of how to get motivated to do school work. If you are tired or upset, the homework might seem tougher than it is and any setbacks will demotivate you strongly. If you think you are in a bad mood then take some time to de-stress and relax. 

Make a schedule 

Making and sticking to a schedule reinforces that certain times are meant for studying and can help with motivation. If you know if you are a morning person or an evening person, schedule your study times accordingly. A schedule can also help you organize your home study time and give you a sense of control, further increasing motivation. 

Switch between tasks

Just because you set a schedule for yourself doesn't mean you have to follow it exactly. If you schedule 2 hours to work on an essay but after an hour you feel demotivated and stuck with the task, switch to doing some science reading. Switching activities when demotivated allows you to keep motivation high by doing tasks that you enjoy when stuck on a boring assignment. 

Get rid of distractions

Staying focused on homework is difficult enough to do without the distractions of television and phones. Studies have shown that multitasking is impossible for humans to do and makes us worse at both the things we're attempting. Don't try to watch your favorite show while doing homework, it will only make the homework last longer. Put your phone on silent mode and keep it in a different room until you have a reward time or a break because constantly checking messages or social media every 5 minutes will distract you from homework you should be doing.

Listen to specific music 

One of the ways to make homework more enjoyable is to listen to music, but in the last tip we just told you to get rid of distractions, so what's the deal? Well, studies have shown that certain types of music boost productivity whereas other types reduce productivity. Listening to music can boost memory, Increase motivation, improve mood, and increase focus. To get the positives, avoid listening to music with lyrics because lyrics and words can be distracting. Listen to slow instrumental music or Lo-Fi music. Keep the volume low so that it's more like background music and avoid experimental music with sudden changes since both loud music and music that changes often can be distracting. Finally, don't listen to music that you either love or hate because the songs will distract you from your homework. 

Work with others 

Some people tend to work better alone and being with others makes them lose focus but for most people working with others can help motivation. Having a study buddy or a study group with several people makes it easier to do homework because there is always someone around to ask for help. Working with other people also makes homework more interesting because teaching a classmate something is a fun way of learning the material. 

Have friendly competitions

If you have a study buddy, study group, or just good friends in class, competing with them is a great way to tackle the ‘how to motivate yourself to do homework’ problem. This can include things like seeing who gets a higher grade on a test next week, seeing who can finish 20 math problems the fastest, or quizzing each other on required reading. A little bit of friendly competition will absolutely boost your motivation.

Think about your goals 

No matter what you do, some homework might just be incredibly hard or boring for you. In that case, think about what accomplishing the homework will get you. In the bigger picture, doing this homework well and understanding the material will get you a good grade which might get you into the college of your dreams. Doing homework well can also be its own reward, especially if it's difficult. Getting a good grade might get you a reward from your parents or might just make them proud of you. If you think about the bigger picture rather than just the task at hand you can often find the motivation to get things done.

Prioritize your homework 

It's normal to have no motivation to do homework when you have a bunch of tasks piled up including some long and complicated assignments. Getting organized will help you understand that things are manageable. Many people are tempted to do the easy assignments first to get them out of the way, but this may leave you with not enough time to do the longer, more complex tasks. Think of it this way, once you get the more complicated tasks done you can do all the easy assignments without any stress or pressure, but if you're done with the easy tasks you still have the mental tension of the upcoming monster task in your head.

Ask your parents for help

Asking your parents for help is a great way how to motivate yourself to do homework. Studies have found that when parents are involved with their children's schoolwork, overall happiness within the family increases. It can be a fun way for you to bond with your parents, as well as tease them if you find out that you know something they don't!

Just get started

Procrastination and having no motivation to do homework are common not just among students but amongst humans everywhere. When you have a bunch of homework in front of you just getting started can seem impossible. If you find yourself in this situation, choose any homework assignment and force yourself to start working on it. Within a few minutes, you will find yourself getting into the groove and feeling motivated to finish the task. 

Figure out your own way 

Everyone is different and everyone learns differently. You can make a homework assignment more interesting by coming up with your own techniques to make it fun. If you have to read about a specific time in history, find documentaries that cover the same time period. Use online tools like YouTube and study websites to help you overcome problems you may have. If math isn't really your thing, find friends with whom you enjoy spending time and ask them to help you out. 

Will It Work?

There's no big secret when it comes to how to motivate yourself to do homework. All the tips mentioned above have been proven to improve motivation to do homework and some of them are backed by studies about productivity in the workplace. Homework does not have to be this boring scary thing that eats away your free time.If you change your perception of homework to be something that helps you achieve long-term goals as well as something that gives you information and knowledge you will be more motivated to do it. Also, think about what makes you unique and therefore how and where you might be the most motivated to do homework. Making a plan or a schedule and breaking homework up into smaller tasks is another way to make challenging amounts of homework more manageable. These tips answer the question of how to motivate yourself to do homework. But sometimes even if you are highly motivated you just don't have enough time in the day to get everything done and some types of homework may just be challenging and difficult. In this case, there is absolutely no harm in asking for help. After all, the goal of homework is to help you learn and there are many ways to learn.There are a lot of online resources that can help you with homework but Studyfy is one of the best. Studyfy is a one-stop platform for all the academic needs of students with tons of free resources and learning materials. They also have online tutors that have vast academic experience and will help you understand your homework and get it done.Additionally, if you are struggling with academic writing, Studyfy also provides a cheap essay writing service , as well as research paper writing service and " write my admission essay " service , essay writer for hire . Their team of professional writers can help you with any type of academic assignment, no matter how challenging it may seem. So, don't hesitate to reach out for help when you need it and make the most out of your homework and academic experience.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Global Cognition

7 ways to improve your motivation to study (backed by science).

by Winston Sieck updated September 18, 2021

Just about everyone who has ever been in school knows what it feels like to sit in front of the computer, staring at a blank screen. Hoping their term paper would write itself.

Or tried reading a textbook only to find that they have read the same paragraph ten times and still don’t know what they read.

Or decided they would rather clean the clutter out from under their bed than study in the first place.

Bottom line, studying can be kind of a drag. When you have a hundred other things you would rather do and an overwhelming amount of work to do, it is hard to get started and even harder to finish.

Fortunately, there are some simple, scientifically proven ways you can find your motivation and keep it.

What is Motivation to Study?

Motivation comes from a Latin word that literally means “to move.” But what causes someone to be motivated to study has been a hot topic in the world of science.

Researchers believe that your motivation to study can either come from inside you or outside of you. You can be motivated by an internal drive to learn as much possible. Or, you might be motivated to study by an external reward like a good grade, or a great job, or someone promising you a car.

Recently, researchers have discovered that your motivation to study is rooted in lots of factors, many of which we have control over. Rory Lazowski of James Madison University and Chris Hulleman of the University of Virginia analyzed more than 70 studies into what motivates students in schools. They published their paper , “Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review, in the journal Review of Educational Research .

Lazowski and Hulleman found that a number of ways to improve motivation consistently yield positive results. Here, I describe seven of the techniques that you can most readily use on your own to power through your own study barriers, and move your learning forward.

1. Set Clear Goals

You may think to yourself, “My goal is to graduate and get a good job and be rich.” While that’s a fine ambition, by itself it probably won’t help you in school day-to-day.

In order to improve your motivation to study, your goals have to be a little closer to home. In fact, setting clear academic goals has been scientifically linked to higher grade point averages than students who set vague goals, like, “I’ll just do the best I can.”

Set a goal to earn an “A” on a particular test in a particular subject. Or, decide to learn everything you can about a concept because it will help you in the real world. Set a deadline for homework that will force you to finish a task before it is due so you can review it before handing it in. Whatever the goal is, be sure it is specific, relevant, and timely.

2. Don’t Just Shoot For Performance, Go For Mastery

There is nothing more frustrating than studying hard for a test only to get a grade that is less than what you were expecting. At that point, lots of students throw their hands in the air and say, “If this is what happens when I study, why study?”

Resist that urge.

The grades you receive on a test are examples of performance goals. If you set a goal to get an “A”, and stop there, you may only study the things that you think will be on the test, but not necessarily the things that will give you mastery of the concept.

Students who consistently strive for mastery , really learning what they are studying, almost always see their grades improve as a result.

Mastery goals also help with your motivation to study. If you want to learn everything there is to know, you are less likely to put off starting that process.

3. Take Responsibility for Your Learning

It’s tempting to blame your grades on other people. The teacher doesn’t like you. They never taught what you were tested on. Your homework assignment doesn’t apply. When you blame others for your performance, you are more likely to do poorly on tests, assignments and projects.

Taking responsibility for your own learning can make a world of difference when it comes to getting yourself motivated to study. Recognizing that you are in charge of what you learn can help you start studying, but it can also keep you going when other distractions threaten to take your attention away.

Next time you are tempted to stop in the middle of an assignment and do something else, pause. Take a breath. Then, say out loud, “No one is going to learn this for me.” You might be surprised at how hearing those words affect your focus.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Some people still believe that you’re either born smart (or not). And there’s not much you can do about it. However, research has shown that successful people tend to believe that intelligence is something you build up over your life. These folks have a growth mindset.

When your intelligence is challenged by hard assignments or difficult concepts, people with a growth mindset tend to think, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

Researchers found that believing your brain can get stronger when you tackle hard things not only improves your mastery of what you are learning, it also improves your grades and increases your motivation to study.

The next time you are faced by a blank screen or hard textbook chapter remember, “I don’t know this yet, but if I work hard, I will learn it.”

5. Find the Relevance

If you ever want to annoy your math teacher, tell them algebra has no relevance in the real world. Alternatively, try to figure out how what you are studying relates to your life. Studies have shown that high school students who were asked to write down how their subject matter related to their everyday life saw a significant jump in their GPA.

Before you start studying, try jotting down a few ways this information will come in handy in the future. Making this connection will help you see value in what you are doing and get you started on an assignment or topic.

Sometimes, the connection between what you are learning and how it applies to your life is not easy to see. Try searching the web for applications of your topic to help you see the real-life relevance of what you are learning.

6. Imagine Your Future Self

Imagine what your life will be like in 10 years. Are you successful? Do you have a great career that you love? Are you living in the best city in the world?

Now, imagine how you are going to get there.

Some people automatically connect the school work they are doing now with getting into a good college or training program that will lead to their desired future. Other students have difficulty making that connection.

Having the ability to imagine your future self is a skill that has been shown to improve motivation to study. It has also been linked to higher grades, lower cases of truancy and fewer discipline problems in school.

Next time you are faced with a particularly daunting assignment, close your eyes and picture what you want your life to be like. Then, recognize that in order to have the life you want, you have to do the assignment in front of you.

7. Reaffirm Your Personal Values

What do you value most? What are the two or three most important qualities you can possibly develop? Do you strive to be honest in everything you do? Do you value kindness? Is success the most important value in your life?

Taking a few minutes now and again to reaffirm your values by writing in a journal or meditating about them can help you focus your efforts in other areas of your life.

If you value family over everything, your ability to take care of your family will motivate you to study and do well in school. If you value honesty, you will never feel inclined to cheat on a test, but will work hard to study.

Ultimately, finding the motivation to study is less about going on a treasure hunt and more about changing the way you think about learning. Even implementing a few of these seven tips can help you stay focused and keep going.

Image Credit: PublicDomainPictures

Lazowski, R. A., & Hulleman, C. S. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational research , 86(2), 602-640. DOI: 10.3102/0034654315617832

Study Smarter

Build your study skills with thinker academy.

About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

October 2, 2018 at 4:59 pm

Thanks for sharing this post. I plan to share it with my students this week. We’re implementing some growth mindset and mindfulness practices this year. This will be a good reinforcement of some of those ideas and will provide some new insight as well. I think it will be well-received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how open they’ve been to these ideas so far. Thanks again.

October 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm

That’s great, Tony. Excellent to hear the success you’re having with these ideas in your class. Thanks for stopping by..

October 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Thanks for posting this . I felt it after reading it and I think that if I prepare it today tomarow will be good . From this I’ll stay motivated .

October 2, 2018 at 6:54 pm

Thank greatly for this post. I’m studying at college at 45yrs ,sometimes want to give up studying but you came along with this great post. Great assurance and encouragement for young and old students alike.

Will have to share with my students as well,

kind regards,

clotilda Claudia Harry Solomon islands.

October 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

Yep, we all need a little motivation boost at any age. Way to keep learning, Clotilda.

November 16, 2018 at 12:08 am

Thanks for providing a resource for our children to grow in knowledge. Seems that no matter what the age, we all struggle with these issues.

November 17, 2018 at 4:39 pm

No doubt, Michael! Managing motivation is a life-long skill we can teach our kids. Good to see you here – thanks for stopping by..

October 6, 2020 at 4:23 am

Thank you so much for motivating, the point you are mentioned such as set goal and go for mastery, be responsibility for learning, etc. all these points are really very helpful and they are very useful for study thank you so much for sharing

February 3, 2021 at 5:18 am

Thank you! Without following all of these steps, it’s hard to have any significant academic success, I think. It helps me not to lose motivation with step-by-step planning: I divide the global goal into several small short-term goals and achieving even minimal results makes me happy and motivates me to try harder. Of course, there are also bad periods, when I feel exhausted and overwhelmed. But a little rest allows me to get back on track.

• Save Your Ammo
• Publications

GC Blog Topics

• Culture & Communication
• Thinking & Deciding
• Learning Skills
• Learning Science

Online Courses

• Thinker Academy
• Study Skills Course
• For Parents
• For Teachers

column | Teaching and Learning

How to motivate students to actually do homework and reading, by bonni stachowiak (columnist)     jan 7, 2022.

Bondar Illia / Shutterstock

This article is part of the guide: Toward Better Teaching: Office Hours With Bonni Stachowiak.

The following is the latest installment of the Toward Better Teaching advice column . You can pose a question for a future column here .

Reader Question:

Dear Bonni, What ideas do you have for student accountability? How do we get students to do pre-class work without giving a grade to everything? —Looking for change

Dave, my husband, was in the driveway a few days ago, about to head somewhere with our two kids. I had just finished my elliptical workout and he asked, “Are you glad you did it?” I was glad, but it didn’t start that way. The moves came prior to the motivation.

For 429 days straight, I have exercised for at least thirty minutes, a routine that gets reinforced by the sense of accomplishment and my overall better health. I was indeed happy to have taken that next step toward continuing my commitment. But I don’t rely on a feeling to get me moving most days. Instead, I lean on the power of habits to draw me into action, even when the way I’m feeling doesn’t necessarily prompt me. Often, students experience the same mindset around out of class preparation and we wind up needing to help them establish good habits beyond what they may naturally exhibit on their own.

James Clear describes the four components of our established patterns in “ Atomic Habits: An Easy, Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones .” Cues are the triggers that we humans associate with some type of a reward. Cravings are the drives that motivate us to act. Responses are the behaviors or thoughts we in turn produce, assuming that there isn’t too much friction preventing them—and ample reasons to produce them. Rewards are what we get when we take the intended action or think the desired thought.

Building up a habit like the one I have done for exercise involves both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for most people. It actually requires some unlearning, and some changes in approach, to create an environment that better encourages students to complete assigned activities. Instructors first need to consider how we use grades in our teaching—and then explore what kinds of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations exist and persist for our students.

Much of our students’ educational experiences have taught them to search out the rewards for a transactional gauge of their actions in the form of points or grades. In Susan Blum’s “ Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What to Do, Instead) ,” we discover that when it comes to concerns about grade inflation:

“The trouble isn’t that too many students are getting As but that too many students have been led to believe the primary purpose of schooling is to get As,” she writes.

Part of the reason why students don’t complete the pre-work for classes is because they have been conditioned to focus on extrinsic rewards in their education. All too often, collecting as many points as possible becomes the game, perfectly designed to squeeze out any intrinsic motivations that might have otherwise surfaced along the way.

So how do you get students to complete the tasks that will help them better engage in a class session? Here are some approaches that have worked well for me specific to the context you inquired about.

Two common concerns that I’ve come across are that:

• Grading takes up too much time for instructors, and that
• Instructors wish students did the work before class without needing to be awarded points for their effort.

First of all, there are approaches that can help reduce grading time while still giving useful feedback to students. For instance, instructors can strategically assign tasks that can be auto-graded, or spot-checked. When vocabulary is an important aspect of a class I’m teaching, I will sometimes assign an auto-graded quiz that presents ten questions from a large bank of terms and allow for the quiz to be repeated by students until they earn their desired score. In other assignments, students are instructed to record a screencast of themselves playing a matching game that reinforces the vocabulary.

Michelle Miller encourages us in “ Minds Online: Teaching Effectively With Technology ” to not feel like instructors have to evaluate each and every thing that a student submits to one of our classes. In my case, I tend to watch every screencast video that is submitted, or otherwise how would I ever learn the names of each student’s pet? But I do watch the videos at double speed, and I’m able to get through them relatively quickly. And I sometimes delegate some portion of the work to a teaching assistant.

The most common homework given to students in most classes is reading. To incentivize that, I typically assign reading exercises and quizzes. First, I ask students to submit analog or digital notes related to what they read. A common format I use is a 5-3-1 structure: where they identify five main points that stood out to them, three ways they might apply what they read and one question they have as a discussion prompt for others who read the same passages. Second, I frequently have fewer than ten auto-graded questions to test for understanding of the assigned reading. Finally, I have around five reflection and application questions as part of the reading quiz.

As for the complaint that students should want to do reading or other pre-work purely from intrinsic motivation, I have this advice. In the book “ Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us ,” Daniel Pink notes that: “Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others—sales targets, quarterly returns, standardized test scores, and so on—can sometimes have dangerous side effects.” It’s worth reflecting on ways we can let students be more self-directed to foster intrinsic motivation in their studies.

When I spoke with James Lang for the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, he shared the way his thinking has evolved regarding motivation. He stressed that the research shows that:

“We need to have those intrinsic motivators, and a lot of school-based motivation is extrinsic in the form of grades and degrees and all that other stuff. We do need to pull up those intrinsic motivators in any way that you can. I have to say though, over the past few years, as I’ve continued to look at that research and think more and more about this question, I’ve come to believe that actually we need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in order to be successful.”

Lang continued to describe how in endeavors such as exercise, ideally we would be intrinsically motivated, but people often aren’t. Instead, they use social connections and external reminders of their achievements to bridge the gap between the actions (actually going for the run) and the rewards (recognizing how great it feels after we exercise). In this way, the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations can spur each other on.

Another overall recommendation on how to get students to not require as much external motivation is to consider the alternatives to traditional grades. In addition to Susan Blum’s ‘Ungrading,’ I recommend:

Grading for Growth : This collection of posts via the Substack newsletter engine by Robert Talbert and David Clark explores the challenges with the ways we tend to approach grades in higher education and how to use alternative grading practices that focus on growth.

Ungrading Twitter Thread : Curated by Jesse Stommel, this thread has the links to much of Jesse’s writing and speaking on the topic. Instead of adopting “best practices,” he implores us to adopt what he called “necessary practices.”

How have I been able to keep up a 429-day streak of exercise? Partially, it is because I want to live longer and be able to be more present for those I love. The intrinsic factors motivating me are strong over the long haul and they build upon one another. However, when it comes to the daily discipline to keep going, it does help when I get these buzzes on my wrist via an Apple Watch, telling me that I can still achieve my fitness goals for the day. When I look at the app that reports out my streaks, yet taunts me with what is left to accomplish today to keep the momentum going, I wind up doing the thing I don’t feel like doing in the moment for the bigger picture rewards.

Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the long-running podcast, Teaching in Higher Ed . She is also dean of teaching and learning at Vanguard University of Southern California.

Toward Better Teaching: Office Hours With Bonni Stachowiak

Teaching While Facing Gender Biases

By bonni stachowiak.

How to Use Podcasts in Teaching

How Do You Make Zoom Breakout Rooms Less Boring?

In Teaching, How Much ‘Curation’ Is Too Much?

More from edsurge.

What's Really Getting in the Way of Teachers Embracing Edtech?

By tracy huebner.

EdSurge Podcast

What a popular tiktok channel reveals about the stress of college admissions, by jeffrey r. young.

Teaching and Learning

Empty desks: getting chronically absent students back to class is no easy feat, by angela swartz.

What I Learned From an Experiment to Apply Generative AI to My Data Course

By wendy castillo.

Journalism that ignites your curiosity about education.

EdSurge is an editorially independent project of and

• Product Index
• Write for us
• Advertising

FOLLOW EDSURGE

© 2023 All Rights Reserved

How to Motivate Students: 12 Classroom Tips & Examples

Inspire. Instill drive. Incite excitement. Stimulate curiosity.

These are all common goals for many educators. However, what can you do if your students lack motivation? How do you light that fire and keep it from burning out?

This article will explain and provide examples of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the classroom. Further, we will provide actionable methods to use right now in your classroom to motivate the difficult to motivate. Let’s get started!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your students create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

The science of motivation explained, how to motivate students in the classroom, 9 ways teachers can motivate students, encouraging students to ask questions: 3 tips, motivating students in online classes, helpful resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Goal-directed activities are started and sustained by motivation. “Motivational processes are personal/internal influences that lead to outcomes such as choice, effort, persistence, achievement, and environmental regulation” (Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020). There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation is internal to a person.

For example, you may be motivated to achieve satisfactory grades in a foreign language course because you genuinely want to become fluent in the language. Students like this are motivated by their interest, enjoyment, or satisfaction from learning the material.

Not surprisingly, intrinsic motivation is congruous with higher performance and predicts student performance and higher achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

Extrinsic motivation is derived from a more external source and involves a contingent reward (Benabou & Tirole, 2003).

For example, a student may be motivated to achieve satisfactory grades in a foreign language course because they receive a tangible reward or compliments for good grades. Their motivation is fueled by earning external rewards or avoiding punishments. Rewards may even include approval from others, such as parents or teachers.

Self-determination theory addresses the why of behavior and asserts that there are various motivation types that lie on a continuum, including external motivation, internal motivation, and amotivation (Sheehan et al., 2018).

• Relatedness

Student autonomy is the ownership they take of their learning or initiative.

Generate students’ autonomy by involving them in decision-making. Try blended learning, which combines whole class lessons with independent learning. Teach accountability by holding students accountable and modeling and thinking aloud your own accountability.

In addressing competence, students must feel that they can succeed and grow. Assisting students in developing their self-esteem is critical. Help students see their strengths and refer to their strengths often. Promote a kid’s growth mindset .

Relatedness refers to the students’ sense of belonging and connection. Build this by establishing relationships. Facilitate peer connections by using team-building exercises and encouraging collaborative learning. Develop your own relationship with each student. Explore student interests to develop common ground.

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Exercises (PDF)

Enhance wellbeing with these free, science-based exercises that draw on the latest insights from positive psychology.

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

Motivating students while teaching a subject and providing classroom management is definitely a juggling act. Try introducing a few of the suggestions below and see what happens.

Relationships

First and foremost, it is critical to develop relationships with your students. When students begin formal schooling, they need to develop quality relationships, as interpersonal relationships in the school setting influence children’s development and positively impact student outcomes, which includes their motivation to learn, behavior, and cognitive skills (McFarland et al., 2016).

Try administering interest inventories at the beginning of the school year. Make a point to get to know each student and demonstrate your interest by asking them about their weekend, sports game, or other activities they may participate in.

Physical learning environment

Modify the physical learning environment. Who says students need to sit in single-file rows all facing the front of the room or even as desks for that matter?

Flexible seating is something you may want to try. Students who are comfortable in a learning space are better engaged, which leads to more meaningful, impactful learning experiences (Cole et al., 2021). You may try to implement pillows, couches, stools, rocking chairs, rolling chairs, bouncing chairs, or even no chairs at all.

Include parents

Involve parents and solicit their aid to help encourage students. Parents are a key factor in students’ motivation (Tóth-Király et al., 2022).

It is important to develop your relationship with these crucial allies. Try making positive phone calls home prior to the negative phone calls to help build an effective relationship. Involve parents by sending home a weekly newsletter or by inviting them into your classroom for special events. Inform them that you are a team and have the same goals for their child.

The relevance of the material is critical for instilling motivation. Demonstrating why the material is useful or tying the material directly to students’ lives is necessary for obtaining student interest.

It would come as no surprise that if a foreign language learner is not using relevant material, it will take longer for that student to acquire the language and achieve their goals (Shatz, 2014). If students do not understand the importance or real-world application for what they are learning, they may not be motivated to learn.

Student-centered learning

Student-centered learning approaches have been proven to be more effective than teacher-centered teaching approaches (Peled et al., 2022).

A student-centered approach engages students in the learning process, whereas a teacher-centered approach involves the teacher delivering the majority of the information. This type of teaching requires students to construct meaning from new information and prior experience.

Give students autonomy and ownership of what they learn. Try enlisting students as the directors of their own learning and assign project-based learning activities.

Find additional ways to integrate technology. Talk less and encourage the students to talk more. Involving students in decision-making and providing them opportunities to lead are conducive to a student-centered learning environment.

Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning is definitely a strategy to implement in the classroom. There are both cognitive and motivational benefits to collaborative learning (Järvelä et al., 2010), and social learning theory is a critical lens with which to examine motivation in the classroom.

You may try assigning group or partner work where students work together on a common task. This is also known as cooperative learning. You may want to offer opportunities for both partner and small group work. Allowing students to choose their partners or groups and assigning partners or groups should also be considered.

Alternative answering

Have you ever had a difficult time getting students to answer your questions? Who says students need to answer verbally? Try using alternative answering methods, such as individual whiteboards, personal response systems such as “clickers,” or student response games such as Kahoot!

Quizlet is also an effective method for obtaining students’ answers (Setiawan & Wiedarti, 2020). Using these tools allows every student to participate, even the timid students, and allows the teacher to perform a class-wide formative assessment on all students.

New teaching methods

Vary your teaching methods. If you have become bored with the lessons you are delivering, it’s likely that students have also become bored.

Try new teaching activities, such as inviting a guest speaker to your classroom or by implementing debates and role-play into your lessons. Teacher and student enjoyment in the classroom are positively linked, and teachers’ displayed enthusiasm affects teacher and student enjoyment (Frenzel et al., 2009).

Perhaps check out our article on teacher burnout to reignite your spark in the classroom. If you are not enjoying yourself, your students aren’t likely to either.

Aside from encouraging students to answer teacher questions, prompting students to ask their own questions can also be a challenge.

When students ask questions, they demonstrate they are thinking about their learning and are engaged. Further, they are actively filling the gaps in their knowledge. Doğan and Yücel-Toy (2020, p. 2237) posit:

“The process of asking questions helps students understand the new topic, realize others’ ideas, evaluate their own progress, monitor learning processes, and increase their motivation and interest on the topic by arousing curiosity.”

Student-created questions are critical to an effective learning environment. Below are a few tips to help motivate students to ask questions.

Instill confidence and a safe environment

Students need to feel safe in their classrooms. A teacher can foster this environment by setting clear expectations of respect between students. Involve students in creating a classroom contract or norms.

Refer to your classroom’s posted contract or norms periodically to review student expectations. Address any deviation from these agreements and praise students often. Acknowledge all students’ responses, no matter how wild or off-topic they may be.

Graphic organizers

Provide students with graphic organizers such as a KWL chart. The KWL chart helps students organize what they already Know , what they Want to learn, and what they Learned .

Tools such as these will allow students to process their thinking and grant them time to generate constructive questions. Referring to this chart will allow more timid students to share their questions.

Although intrinsic motivation is preferred (Ryan & Deci, 2020), incentives should also be used when appropriate. Token systems, where students can exchange points for items, are an effective method for improving learning and positively affecting student behavior (Homer et al., 2018).

Tangible and intangible incentives may be used to motivate students if they have not developed intrinsic motivation. Intangible items may include lunch with the teacher, a coupon to only complete half of an assignment, or a show-and-tell session. Of course, a good old-fashioned treasure box may help as well.

If students are unwilling to ask questions in front of the class, try implementing a large poster paper where students are encouraged to use sticky notes to write down their questions. Teachers may refer to the questions and answer them at a separate time. This practice is called a “parking lot.” Also, consider allowing students to share questions in small groups or with partners.

Student motivation: how to motivate students to learn

Just as in the face-to-face setting, relationships are crucial for online student motivation as well. Build relationships by getting to know your students’ interests. Determining student interests will also be key in the virtual environment.

Try incorporating a show-and-tell opportunity where students can display and talk about objects from around their home that are important to them. Peer-to-peer relationships should also be encouraged, and accomplishing this feat in an online class can be difficult. Here is a resource you can use to help plan team-building activities to bring your students together.

Game-based response systems such as Kahoot! may increase motivation. These tools use gamification to encourage motivation and engagement.

Incentives may also be used in the computer-based setting. Many schools have opted to use Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Rewards . This curriculum nurtures a positive school culture and aims to improve student behavior. Points are earned by students meeting expectations and can be exchanged for items in an online store.

To further develop strong relationships with students and parents, remark on the relevancy of the materials and instill a student-centered learning approach that addresses autonomy. You may also wish to include alternative means of answering questions, vary your teaching methods, and implement collaborative learning.

We have many useful articles and worksheets you can use with your students. To get an excellent start on the foundations of motivation, we recommend our article What Is Motivation? A Psychologist Explains .

If you’re curious about intrinsic motivation, you may be interested in What Is Intrinsic Motivation? 10 Examples and Factors Explained . And if you wish to learn more about extrinsic motivation, What Is Extrinsic Motivation? 9 Everyday Examples and Activities may be of interest to you.

Perhaps using kids’ reward coupons such as these may help increase motivation. Teachers could modify the coupons to fit their classroom or share these exact coupons with parents at parent–teacher conferences to reinforce children’s efforts at school .

For some students, coloring is an enjoyable and creative outlet. Try using a coloring sheet such as this Decorating Cookies worksheet for when students complete their work or as a reward for good behavior.

These 17 Motivation and Goal Achievement Exercises were designed for professionals to help others turn their dreams into reality by applying the latest science-based behavioral change techniques. You can consider these exercises to better understand your own motivation or tweak some activities for younger learners.

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.”

C. S. Lewis

While we know how challenging it is to motivate students while teaching our specific subjects and attending to classroom management, we also understand the importance of motivation.

You will have some students enter your classroom with unequivocally developed intrinsic motivation, and you will have students enter your classroom with absolutely no motivation.

Teachers have to be able to teach everyone who walks into their classroom and incite motivation in those who have no motivation at all. Motivating the difficult to motivate is challenging; however, it can be done.

As Plutarch asserted, it is better to think of education as “a fire to be kindled” as opposed to “a vessel to be filled.” In addressing the needs of students with little to no motivation, it will take more time, patience, and understanding; however, implementing a few of these strategies will put you on the fast track to lighting that fire.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free .

• Benabou, R., & Tirole, J. (2003). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The Review of Economic Studies , 70 (3), 489–495
• Cole, K., Schroeder, K., Bataineh, M., & Al-Bataineh, A. (2021). Flexible seating impact on classroom environment. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET , 20 (2), 62–74.
• Doğan, F., & Yücel-Toy, B. (2020). Development of an attitude scale towards asking questions for elementary education students. Ilkogretim Online, 19 (4), 2237–2248.
• Frenzel, A. C., Goetz, T., Lüdtke, O., Pekrun, R., & Sutton, R. E. (2009). Emotional transmission in the classroom: Exploring the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Journal of Educational Psychology , 101 (3), 705–716.
• Homer, R., Hew, K. F., & Tan, C. Y. (2018). Comparing digital badges-and-points with classroom token systems: Effects on elementary school ESL students’ classroom behavior and English learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society , 21 (1), 137–151.
• Järvelä, S., Volet, S., & Järvenoja, H. (2010). Research on motivation in collaborative learning: Moving beyond the cognitive–situative divide and combining individual and social processes. Educational Psychologist , 45 (1), 15–27.
• Kippers, W. B., Wolterinck, C. H., Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C. L., & Visscher, A. J. (2018). Teachers’ views on the use of assessment for learning and data-based decision making in classroom practice. Teaching and Teacher Education , 75 , 199–213.
• McFarland, L., Murray, E., & Phillipson, S. (2016). Student–teacher relationships and student self-concept: Relations with teacher and student gender. Australian Journal of Education , 60 (1), 5–25.
• Peled, Y., Blau, I., & Grinberg, R. (2022). Crosschecking teachers’ perspectives on learning in a one-to-one environment with their actual classroom behavior: A longitudinal study. Education and Information Technologies , 1–24.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology , 61 , 101860.
• Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology , 60 , 101832.
• Setiawan, M. R., & Wiedarti, P. (2020). The effectiveness of Quizlet application towards students’ motivation in learning vocabulary. Studies in English Language and Education , 7 (1), 83–95.
• Shatz, I. (2014). Parameters for assessing the effectiveness of language learning strategies. Journal of Language and Cultural Education , 2 (3), 96–103.
• Sheehan, R. B., Herring, M. P., & Campbell, M. J. (2018). Associations between motivation and mental health in sport: A test of the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Frontiers in Psychology , 9 , 707.
• Tóth-Király, I., Morin, A. J., Litalien, D., Valuch, M., Bőthe, B., Orosz, G., & Rigó, A. (2022). Self-determined profiles of academic motivation. Motivation and Emotion , 1–19.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

Thank you so much for this informative and interesting article .

Nice blog thanks for sharing..!

I will think about this ever day.

Thanks a lot, that was great!

Very educative and interesting thank a lot for the article

Very nice and informative.

Dear Dr. Tiffany, many thanks for this very useful article.

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

What Is Social–Emotional Learning? + Training Courses

The days of just teaching kids their ABC’s are long gone. Modern educators are tasked with the seemingly impossible responsibility of ensuring today’s youth are [...]

7 Best Continuing Education (CE) Courses for Psychologists

Lifelong learning begins the moment you become a professionally qualified and licensed psychologist. To maintain a license to practice, licensed health and social care professionals [...]

What Is Integrative Therapy? Top 10 Training Options & Books

This article shares integrative therapy training options, and how to become an integrative psychotherapist.

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (40)
• Coaching & Application (56)
• Compassion (26)
• Counseling (50)
• Emotional Intelligence (24)
• Gratitude (17)
• Grief & Bereavement (21)
• Happiness & SWB (38)
• Meaning & Values (25)
• Meditation (20)
• Mindfulness (44)
• Motivation & Goals (43)
• Optimism & Mindset (32)
• Positive CBT (24)
• Positive Communication (20)
• Positive Education (44)
• Positive Emotions (30)
• Positive Leadership (0)
• Positive Psychology (32)
• Positive Workplace (42)
• Productivity (16)
• Relationships (42)
• Resilience & Coping (34)
• Self Awareness (20)
• Self Esteem (37)
• Software & Apps (23)
• Strengths & Virtues (31)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (32)
• Theory & Books (44)
• Therapy Exercises (33)
• Types of Therapy (58)

3 Positive Psychology Tools (PDF)

How to find motivation to do homework

How to find motivation to do homework ? Struggling to motivate yourself to finish homework? You’re not alone! This article has strategies to help you stay motivated and reach goals. Create a positive atmosphere and set realistic expectations . Learn how to motivate yourself and find happiness in studying.

Why is Homework Motivation Important?

Strong Homework Motivation is key for academic success. Parents and teachers must foster the right mindset and goal-setting skills . Create a supportive environment at home and engage students in class through group work and quizzes.

Homework should be viewed as an opportunity , not an obstacle. Incorporate positive reinforcement such as regular study sessions and breaks in between. With work ethic and repetition, success will come with time! Plus, you’ll be able to brag to your parents and teachers.

The benefits of being motivated to do homework

Kicking off the article, motivating oneself for doing homework brings loads of advantages. Productivity increases, thus saving time and creating extra leisure. Plus, understanding becomes easier due to the release of positive hormones.

Apart from good grades, essential life skills are acquired such as setting goals and perseverance. Awards and incentives for excellent performance become attractive too, building character and preparing for future endeavors.

It’s key to have a positive outlook towards schoolwork, rather than seeing it as dull or a chore. This will help to pursue education, rather than just doing it out of obligation.

Evidence shows that completing homework has advantages apart from just following assignments. This could be getting accepted to a university or even a promotion. So, it’s vital to never ignore coursework and work on each learning opportunity.

Not doing your homework is like forgetting your parachute on a skydiving trip.

The consequences of not being motivated to do homework

Procrastination can result in unfortunate consequences for students. Poor grades, missed assignments, and deadline delays cause disappointment and anxiety, leading to a downward spiral of bad academic performance. Not being motivated to do homework can also lead to inconsistent learning outcomes and have a negative effect on career goals. To combat this, setting achievable goals and breaking tasks into smaller steps is essential.

Seeking support, collaborating with peers, keeping a study journal, practicing time management skills, and creating an appropriate learning environment can help boost motivation. Studies have shown that poor academic performance is linked to increased stress levels, leading to anxiety and depression.

Educators should provide conducive learning environments, offer resources such as counseling services, and develop positive relationships with students. Promoting self-reflection and goal-setting activities during student-teacher interactions can effectively support students’ motivation to complete their homework tasks successfully.

Understanding the Challenges: Common Obstacles to Homework Motivation

Homework tasks can seem intimidating for students. Finding motivation is tough. Common roadblocks like distractions, disinterest, and low energy can make students unmotivated to finish their homework. This leads to procrastination, bad grades, and poor academic performance.

To keep motivated for homework, focus on time management, setting goals, and staying focused . Ban distractions for effective studying. Set specific goals for each task; this will help you stay motivated throughout the assignment. Ask teachers or peers for guidance if you struggle.

Emotional distress and cognitive constraints are other obstacles to motivation. Stressful life events can affect schoolwork. Counseling services can help ease the burden.

Pro Tip: Plan rewards after completing homework tasks. This creates a positive feedback loop for future assignments. Without goals, your motivation is lost.

Setting Clear Goals: The First Step to Finding Motivation

To boost motivation for homework, set SMART goals . These should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound . Write them down and keep track of progress. Acknowledge what it would feel like when completed and recognize the reasons behind doing the work.

Incentives are key to increasing overall motivation. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan of Rochester University found that extrinsic motivators such as praise don’t motivate intrinsically. So incentives are important for students to foster intrinsic motivation and achieve success.

Who needs a five-star hotel? Transform your study space into a motivational spa retreat!

Creating a Positive Study Environment: Enhancing Motivation through Space

To boost motivation in building a homework routine, create an ideal study space. It should be uplifting and inspiring. A good study area helps maintain focus, increase productivity, and reduce stress.

Motivational posters and fresh flowers make for an aesthetically pleasing space. Plus, a clean and organized workspace aids concentration and decreases distractions. Clutter causes uneasiness and hinders interest.

Personalize your workspace for comfortability and engagement. Dim lights or soft music can make studying easier.

Pro Tip: Add personal touches or rearrange furniture to shift from boring monotony to an encouraging atmosphere. Need some motivation? Look at your grades and let it spark your enthusiasm!

Finding Your Motivation Triggers: Discovering What Inspires You

Discovering what inspires you is essential to stay motivated and productive when doing homework. Unearth the factors inhibiting motivation. Find Your Inspiration Incentives: Uncover What Revs You Up!

Here are some tips to help you:

• Set clear objectives. Think about why a course was chosen, what interests or people drew attention? Create daily goal checklists for priority tasks.
• Identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Understand learning style via self-assessment surveys. Tailor study approach, don’t use common methods subjectively chosen.
• A fellow student shared their experience of struggling with homework motivation. Various online strategies used without reflecting on suitability. Reflect on psychological needs, tailor rewarding activities. Going for runs to release endorphins, happier moods to work hard! Motivation for homework is like a unicorn, hard to find!

Tips for finding homework motivation

Struggling to find motivation for homework? Here are effective techniques:

• Create a routine . Set aside the same time each day and use it solely to focus on work.
• Break assignments into smaller tasks .
• Find an accountability partner . Share progress with someone who cares.
• Use positive reinforcement . Reward yourself after completing each task.
• Remind yourself of your goals and stay motivated .
• Parents, nagging won’t help . Promise ice cream after they finish!

The role of parents in homework motivation

Parents: to enhance your child’s enthusiasm for homework, motivate them! You have an influential role in boosting motivation. Encouragement, structure and interest in their academic progress can all help.

Set a routine for daily assignments and offer rewards or incentives when they finish on time or get good grades. Use positive reinforcement such as praise instead of criticism.

Each day, ask your child about schoolwork. This promotes diligence and shows education is important to the family.

Show them different ways homework is beneficial. Ask them to contribute ideas on topics they want to learn more about. Create a deeper passion for learning.

Establish healthy routines. Demonstrate enthusiasm for academic mastery, not strictness and punishment. Improve the chances of preventing missing out on future opportunities that higher education offers.

A Call-to-action technique like “fear of being left behind” demands immediate attention from parents to incentivize kids passionately towards successful completion of homework tasks. Teachers can’t always motivate us, but at least they can provide plenty of material for procrastination.

The role of teachers in homework motivation

Teachers have a big part to play in motivating students to do their homework. By offering clear explanations, feedback and a positive classroom environment, they can inspire kids to tackle their assignments with excitement.

Personal help like one-on-one consultations or mentorship can help those who are having trouble, building their confidence and making them view schoolwork more positively.

To make sure learning sticks and to avoid frustration, teachers should use different strategies that suit individual students. For instance, interactive methods such as group conversations or project-based tasks create interesting learning experiences which help with homework beyond just memorizing.

Frequent communication between teachers and parents is also key in holding people accountable and getting parents involved in inspiring their children.

It’s important to take into account that each student is different, and this means adjusting the curriculum to fit varying abilities, as well as social and emotional factors like mental health or external pressures.

Research has shown that parent support is a must for successful student achievements. The National Education Association (NEA) reported that when parents get involved, it can bring many advantages, from an improved school climate and attendance to a higher motivation towards homework.

The role of peers in homework motivation

Peer influence is hugely important for homework motivation. It changes students’ values, attitudes, and behaviors towards their work. Peers can be role models or distractions, depending on the impact.

By watching their friends’ study habits, involvement, and grades, students can become motivated to copy or even exceed these standards. Working together helps share knowledge and get feedback. So, both teachers and peers need to create an environment that encourages learning.

Peer pressure can be a blessing or a curse. Research shows it can cause anxiety and bad performance, if it is negative.

A great example of peer influence in action is high school football players. Poor performers were paired with successful ones. This led to improved grades, thanks to the model behavior and social support from their high-achieving peers.

Managing Distractions: Techniques for Staying Focused on Homework

Maintaining Concentance: Strategies to Keep Your Focus on Coursework.

Stay productive and successful in completing homework by managing distractions. Here are five tactics to help you stay on track:

• Make a work area without interruptions.
• Organize your study materials before starting.
• Set reasonable goals and take breaks when needed.
• Stay away from tech distractions like social media notifications.
• Do the hard stuff first when your mind is sharp.

Good habits and limiting disruptions boost motivation and reduce procrastination. Listen to instrumental music or white noise to stay focused. Self-care is important for concentration.

My friend had ADHD in high school. Medication and other treatments didn’t help. So she got an academic coach. The coach gave her techniques like mindfulness, accountability with peers, and time management. That helped her coursework.

Take a break sometimes. Have ice cream and Netflix. Reset!

Dealing with Homework Burnout: Strategies for Recharging Your Motivation

Feeling burnt out or unmotivated with homework? Combat this! Strategies can help recharge your inspiration. Implement a study schedule that suits your goals, and rest . Break down tough assignments into smaller tasks. This will build momentum and confidence. Incorporate positive affirmations & rewards systems . Utilize these strategies to stay motivated and successful in academics. Recharge your motivation – it’s possible!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is it important to find motivation to do homework?

A: Homework is a crucial part of the learning process as it helps reinforce the lessons taught in class and prepare students for exams.

Q: How can I motivate myself to do homework?

A: Setting goals, breaking tasks into smaller chunks, creating a schedule, and using positive self-talk are effective ways to motivate yourself to do homework.

Q: What if I still can’t find motivation to do homework?

A: Sometimes, it can be difficult to find motivation to do homework. In such cases, talking to a teacher, tutor, or counselor can help identify underlying issues and find solutions that work for you.

Q: How can I make homework more enjoyable?

A: Trying different study techniques, incorporating rewards, and studying with friends or classmates can make homework more enjoyable.

Q: What should I do if I am constantly distracted while doing homework?

A: It’s important to identify distractions and remove them as much as possible. This can include turning off electronic devices, finding a quiet study space, and taking periodic breaks.

Q: How can I avoid procrastinating when it comes to homework?

A: Procrastination can be avoided by setting deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller portions, avoiding multitasking, and prioritizing your work.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

© 2023 by Key of Mindset

Center for Teaching

Motivating students.

Introduction

• Expectancy – Value – Cost Model

ARCS Model of Instructional Design

Self-determination theory, additional strategies for motivating students.

Fostering student motivation is a difficult but necessary aspect of teaching that instructors must consider. Many may have led classes where students are engaged, motivated, and excited to learn, but have also led classes where students are distracted, disinterested, and reluctant to engage—and, probably, have led classes that are a mix. What factors influence students’ motivation? How can instructors promote students’ engagement and motivation to learn? While there are nuances that change from student to student, there are also models of motivation that serve as tools for thinking through and enhancing motivation in our classrooms. This guide will look at three frameworks: the expectancy-value-cost model of motivation, the ARCS model of instructional design, and self-determination theory. These three models highlight some of the major factors that influence student motivation, often drawing from and demonstrating overlap among their frameworks. The aim of this guide is to explore some of the literature on motivation and offer practical solutions for understanding and enhancing student motivation.

Expectancy – Value – Cost Model

The purpose of the original expectancy-value model was to predict students’ achievement behaviors within an educational context. The model has since been refined to include cost as one of the three major factors that influence student motivation. Below is a description of the three factors, according to the model, that influence motivation.

• Expectancy refers to a student’s expectation that they can actually succeed in the assigned task. It energizes students because they feel empowered to meet the learning objectives of the course.
• Value involves a student’s ability to perceive the importance of engaging in a particular task. This gives meaning to the assignment or activity because students are clear on why the task or behavior is valuable.
• Cost points to the barriers that impede a student’s ability to be successful on an assignment, activity and/or the course at large. Therefore, students might have success expectancies and perceive high task value, however, they might also be aware of obstacles to their engagement or a potential negative affect resulting in performance of the task, which could decrease their motivation.

Three important questions to consider from the student perspective:

1. Expectancy – Can I do the task?

2. Value – Do I want to do the task?

• Intrinsic or interest value : the inherent enjoyment that an individual experiences from engaging in the task for its own sake.

• Utility value : the usefulness of the task in helping achieve other short term or long-term goals.

• Attainment value : the task affirms a valued aspect of an individual’s identity and meets a need that is important to the individual.

3. Cost – Am I free of barriers that prevent me from investing my time, energy, and resources into the activity?

It’s important to note that expectancy, value and cost are not shaped only when a student enters your classroom. These have been shaped over time by both individual and contextual factors. Each of your students comes in with an initial response, however there are strategies for encouraging student success, clarifying subject meaning and finding ways to mitigate costs that will increase your students’ motivation. Everyone may not end up at the same level of motivation, but if you can increase each student’s motivation, it will help the overall atmosphere and productivity of the course that you are teaching.

Strategies to Enhance Expectancy, Value, and Cost

Hulleman et. al (2016) summarize research-based sources that positively impact students’ expectancy beliefs, perceptions of task value, and perceptions of cost, which might point to useful strategies that instructors can employ.

Research-based sources of expectancy-related beliefs

Research-based sources of value, research-based sources of cost.

• Barron K. E., & Hulleman, C. S. (2015). Expectancy-value-cost model of motivation. International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 8 , 503-509.
• Hulleman, C. S., Barron, K. E., Kosovich, J. J., & Lazowski, R. A. (2016). Student motivation: Current theories, constructs, and interventions within an expectancy-value framework. In A. A. Lipnevich et al. (Eds.), Psychosocial Skills and School Systems in the 21st Century . Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

The ARCS model of instructional design was created to improve the motivational appeal of instructional materials. The ARCS model is grounded in an expectancy-value framework, which assumes that people are motivated to engage in an activity if it’s perceived to be linked to the satisfaction of personal needs and if there is a positive expectancy for success. The purpose of this model was to fill a gap in the motivation literature by providing a model that could more clearly allow instructors to identify strategies to help improve motivation levels within their students.

ARCS is an acronym that stands for four factors, according to the model, that influence student motivation: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction.

• Attention refers to getting and sustaining student attention and directing attention to the appropriate stimuli.
• Relevance involves making instruction applicable to present and future career opportunities, showing that learning in it of itself is enjoyable, and/or focusing on process over product by satisfying students’ psychological needs (e.g., need for achievement, need for affiliation).
• Confidence includes helping students believe that some level of success is possible if effort is exerted.
• Satisfaction is attained by helping students feel good about their accomplishments and allowing them to exert some degree of control over the learning experience.

To use the ARCS instructional design model, these steps can be followed:

• Classify the problem
• Analyze audience motivation
• Prepare motivational objectives (i.e., identify which factor in the ARCS model to target based on the defined problem and audience analysis).
• Generate potential motivational strategies for each objective
• Select strategies that a) don’t take up too much instructional time; b) don’t detract from instructional objectives; c) fall within time and money constraints; d) are acceptable to the audience; and e) are compatible with the instructor’s personal style, preferences, and mode of instruction.
• Prepare motivational elements
• Integrate materials with instruction
• Conduct a developmental try-out
• Assess motivational outcomes

Strategies to Enhance Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction

Keller (1987) provides several suggestions for how instructors can positively impact students’ attention, perceived relevance, confidence, and satisfaction.

Attention Strategies

Incongruity, Conflict

• Introduce a fact that seems to contradict the learner’s past experience.
• Present an example that does not seem to exemplify a given concept.
• Introduce two equally plausible facts or principles, only one of which can be true.
• Play devil’s advocate.

Concreteness

• Show visual representations of any important object or set of ideas or relationships.
• Give examples of every instructionally important concept or principle.
• Use content-related anecdotes, case studies, biographies, etc.

Variability

• In stand up delivery, vary the tone of your voice, and use body movement, pauses, and props.
• Vary the format of instruction (information presentation, practice, testing, etc.) according to the attention span of the audience.
• Vary the medium of instruction (platform delivery, film, video, print, etc.).
• Break up print materials by use of white space, visuals, tables, different typefaces, etc.
• Change the style of presentation (humorous-serious, fast-slow, loud-soft, active-passive, etc.).
• Shift between student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction.
• Where appropriate, use plays on words during redundant information presentation.
• Use humorous introductions.
• Use humorous analogies to explain and summarize.
• Use creativity techniques to have learners create unusual analogies and associations to the content.
• Build in problem solving activities at regular interval.
• Give learners the opportunity to select topics, projects and assignments that appeal to their curiosity and need to explore.

Participation

• Use games, role plays, or simulations that require learner participation.

Relevance Strategies

• State explicitly how the instruction builds on the learner’s existing skills.
• Use analogies familiar to the learner from past experience.
• Find out what the learners’ interests are and relate them to the instruction.

Present Worth

• State explicitly the present intrinsic value of learning the content, as distinct from its value as a link to future goals.

Future Usefulness

• State explicitly how the instruction relates to future activities of the learner.
• Ask learners to relate the instruction to their own future goals (future wheel).

Need Matching

• To enhance achievement striving behavior, provide opportunities to achieve standards of excellence under conditions of moderate risk.
• To make instruction responsive to the power motive, provide opportunities for responsibility, authority, and interpersonal influence.
• To satisfy the need for affiliation, establish trust and provide opportunities for no-risk, cooperative interaction.
• Bring in alumni of the course as enthusiastic guest lecturers.
• In a self-paced course, use those who finish first as deputy tutors.
• Model enthusiasm for the subject taught.
• Provide meaningful alternative methods for accomplishing a goal.
• Provide personal choices for organizing one’s work.

Confidence Strategies

Learning Requirements

• Incorporate clearly stated, appealing learning goals into instructional materials.
• Provide self-evaluation tools which are based on clearly stated goals.
• Explain the criteria for evaluation of performance.
• Organize materials on an increasing level of difficulty; that is, structure the learning material to provide a “conquerable” challenge.

Expectations

• Include statements about the likelihood of success with given amounts of effort and ability.
• Teach students how to develop a plan of work that will result in goal accomplishment.
• Help students set realistic goals.

Attributions

• Attribute student success to effort rather than luck or ease of task when appropriate (i.e., when you know it’s true!).
• Encourage student efforts to verbalize appropriate attributions for both successes and failures.

Self-Confidence

• Allow students opportunity to become increasingly independent in learning and practicing a skill.
• Have students learn new skills under low risk conditions, but practice performance of well-learned tasks under realistic conditions.
• Help students understand that the pursuit of excellence does not mean that anything short of perfection is failure; learn to feel good about genuine accomplishment.

Satisfaction Strategies

Natural Consequences

• Allow a student to use a newly acquired skill in a realistic setting as soon as possible.
• Verbally reinforce a student’s intrinsic pride in accomplishing a difficult task.
• Allow a student who masters a task to help others who have not yet done so.

Unexpected Rewards

• Reward intrinsically interesting task performance with unexpected, non-contingent rewards.
• Reward boring tasks with extrinsic, anticipated rewards.

Positive Outcomes

• Give verbal praise for successful progress or accomplishment.
• Give personal attention to students.
• Provide informative, helpful feedback when it is immediately useful.
• Provide motivating feedback (praise) immediately following task performance.

Negative Influences

• Avoid the use of threats as a means of obtaining task performance.
• Avoid surveillance (as opposed to positive attention).
• Avoid external performance evaluations whenever it is possible to help the student evaluate his or her own work.
• Provide frequent reinforcements when a student is learning a new task.
• Provide intermittent reinforcement as a student becomes more competent at a task.
• Vary the schedule of reinforcements in terms of both interval and quantity.

Source: Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10 , 2-10.

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro-theory of human motivation, emotion, and development that is concerned with the social conditions that facilitate or hinder human flourishing. While applicable to many domains, the theory has been commonly used to understand what moves students to act and persist in educational settings. SDT focuses on the factors that influence intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which primarily involves the satisfaction of basic psychological needs.

Basic Psychological Needs

SDT posits that human motivation is guided by the need to fulfill basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

• Autonomy refers to having a choice in one’s own individual behaviors and feeling that those behaviors stem from individual volition rather than from external pressure or control. In educational contexts, students feel autonomous when they are given options, within a structure, about how to perform or present their work.
• Competence refers to perceiving one’s own behaviors or actions as effective and efficient. Students feel competent when they are able to track their progress in developing skills or an understanding of course material. This is often fostered when students receive clear feedback regarding their progression in the class.
• Relatedness refers to feeling a sense of belonging, closeness, and support from others. In educational settings, relatedness is fostered when students feel connected, both intellectually and emotionally, to their peers and instructors in the class. This can often be accomplished through interactions that allow members of the class to get to know each other on a deeper, more personal level.

Continuum of Self-Determination

SDT also posits that motivation exists on a continuum. When an environment provides enough support for the satisfaction of the psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness, an individual may experience self-determined forms of motivation: intrinsic motivation, integration, and identification. Self-determined motivation occurs when there is an internal perceived locus of causality (i.e., internal factors are the main driving force for the behavior). Integration and identification are also grouped as autonomous extrinsic motivation as the behavior is driven by internal and volitional choice.

Intrinsic motivation , which is the most self-determined type of motivation, occurs when individuals naturally and spontaneously perform behaviors as a result of genuine interest and enjoyment.

Integrated regulation is when individuals identify the importance of a behavior, integrate this behavior into their self-concept, and pursue activities that align with this self-concept.

Identified regulation is where people identify and recognize the value of a behavior, which then drives their action.

When an environment does not provide enough support for the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, an individual may experience non-self-determined forms of motivation: introjection and external regulation. Introjection and external regulation are grouped as controlled extrinsic motivation because people enact these behaviors due to external or internal pressures.

Introjected regulation occurs when individuals are controlled by internalized consequences administered by the individual themselves, such as pride, shame, or guilt.

External regulation is when people’s behaviors are controlled exclusively by external factors, such as rewards or punishments.

Finally, at the bottom of the continuum is amotivation, which is lowest form of motivation.

Amotivation exists when there is a complete lack of intention to behave and there is no sense of achievement or purpose when the behavior is performed.

Below is a figure depicting the continuum of self-determination taken from Lonsdale, Hodge, and Rose (2009).

Although having intrinsically motivated students would be the ultimate goal, it may not be a practical one within educational settings. That’s because there are several tasks that are required of students to meet particular learning objectives that may not be inherently interesting or enjoyable. Instead, instructors can employ various strategies to satisfy students’ basic psychological needs, which should move their level of motivation along the continuum, and hopefully lead to more self-determined forms of motivation, thus yielding the greatest rewards in terms of student academic outcomes.

Below are suggestions for how instructors can positively impact students’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Strategies to Enhance Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

Autonomy strategies.

• Have students choose paper topics
• Have students choose the medium with which they will present their work
• Co-create rubrics with students (e.g., participation rubrics, assignment rubrics)
• Have students choose the topics you will cover in a particular unit
• Drop the lowest assessment or two (e.g., quizzes, exams, homework)
• Have students identify preferred assignment deadlines
• Gather mid-semester feedback and make changes based on student suggestions
• Provide meaningful rationales for learning activities
• Acknowledge students’ feelings about the learning process or learning activities throughout the course

Competence Strategies

• Set high but achievable learning objectives
• Communicate to students that you believe they can meet your high expectations
• Communicate clear expectations for each assignment (e.g., use rubrics)
• Include multiple low-stakes assessments
• Give students practice with feedback before assessments
• Provide lots of early feedback to students
• Have students provide peer feedback
• Scaffold assignments
• Praise student effort and hard work
• Provide a safe environment for students to fail and then learn from their mistakes

Relatedness Strategies

• Share personal anecdotes
• Get to know students via small talk before/after class and during breaks
• Require students to come to office hours (individually or in small groups)
• Have students complete a survey where they share information about themselves
• Use students’ names (perhaps with the help of name tents)
• Have students incorporate personal interests into their assignments
• Share a meal with students or bring food to class
• Incorporate group activities during class, and allow students to work with a variety of peers
• Arrange formal study groups
• Convey warmth, caring, and respect to students
• Lonsdale, C., Hodge, K., & Rose, E. (2009). Athlete burnout in elite sport: A self-determination perspective. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27, 785-795.
• Niemiec, C. P., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom: Applying self-determination theory to educational practice. Theory and Research in Education, 7, 133-144.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness . New York: Guilford.

Below are some additional research-based strategies for motivating students to learn.

• Become a role model for student interest . Deliver your presentations with energy and enthusiasm. As a display of your motivation, your passion motivates your students. Make the course personal, showing why you are interested in the material.
• Get to know your students.  You will be able to better tailor your instruction to the students’ concerns and backgrounds, and your personal interest in them will inspire their personal loyalty to you. Display a strong interest in students’ learning and a faith in their abilities.
• Use examples freely.  Many students want to be shown why a concept or technique is useful before they want to study it further. Inform students about how your course prepares students for future opportunities.
• Teach by discovery. Students find it satisfying to reason through a problem and discover the underlying principle on their own.
• Cooperative learning activities are particularly effective as they also provide positive social pressure.
• Set realistic performance goals  and help students achieve them by encouraging them to set their own reasonable goals. Design assignments that are appropriately challenging in view of the experience and aptitude of the class.
• Place appropriate emphasis on testing and grading.  Tests should be a means of showing what students have mastered, not what they have not. Avoid grading on the curve and give everyone the opportunity to achieve the highest standard and grades.
• Be free with praise and constructive in criticism.  Negative comments should pertain to particular performances, not the performer. Offer nonjudgmental feedback on students’ work, stress opportunities to improve, look for ways to stimulate advancement, and avoid dividing students into sheep and goats.
• Give students as much control over their own education as possible.  Let students choose paper and project topics that interest them. Assess them in a variety of ways (tests, papers, projects, presentations, etc.) to give students more control over how they show their understanding to you. Give students options for how these assignments are weighted.
• Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• DeLong, M., & Winter, D. (2002).  Learning to teach and teaching to learn mathematics: Resources for professional development . Washington, D.C.: Mathematical Association of America.
• Nilson, L. (2016). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors  (4 th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.

Teaching Guides

• Online Course Development Resources
• Principles & Frameworks
• Pedagogies & Strategies
• Reflecting & Assessing
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Populations & Contexts

Quick Links

• Services for Departments and Schools
• Examples of Online Instructional Modules

How to Get Motivated to Do Homework : 7+ Super Secret Tips

“Confidence and Hard-Work are the best medicine to kill the disease called failure. It will make you a successful person.”- A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

If you want to succeed in every aspect of life, you need to be confident and hard-working. As a student, you need to do hard work in your academics to achieve your desired goals. But sometimes, few students fail to perform in their academics due to various reasons.

One of the primary reasons is they do not take their homework seriously. Homework or assignment is a vital part of a student’s academic knowledge.

Thus, are you also fed up with your homework? Do you lack the motivation to do your homework? Don’t Worry! I’m here to help you. I will answer your question about How to get motivated to do Homework. 

Well, this is a significant problem nowadays. Due to pandemics, students become lazier to do their homework. Many students love school but do not want to do homework.

However, to get motivated to do homework, you have to distribute your work or manage your work in pieces, so you don’t feel embarrassed. 

In this blog, I will mention some tricks and tips on How to get motivated to do homework. With the best state of mind, tricks, and tips, you will quickly be able to increase mind memory even on the least exciting work.

How To Get Motivated to Do Homework : 7+ Super Secret Tips

Table of Contents

Here in this section, we listed 7+ super secret tips on how to get motivated to do homework:

1. Select a Comfortable Location to Study

A lot of people, including essay writer, believe that the location of doing assignments affects learning motivation. One should adjust the area to his particular case. Some people find it easier to do homework in the school library, where the necessary literature exists.

Most people find it more comfortable to lock themselves up to study at the table in their room. Thus, if you can not feel yourself tuned to homework, try new areas; changing the landscape outside the window will surely hit the desire to do tasks. Find your perfect location and complete your home tasks effectively.

2. Set a Goal and Establish Reward Time

Set the goals, so you remember them. Split complex assignments into littler parts and set an objective for each part. Give yourself an award after you finish each part, similar to 10 minutes off, a treat, or even a speedy computer game. You will rapidly figure out how to be inspired to do schoolwork with remunerations.

However, if you have any interest in making game from scratch then you can use Python for this. Get Python homework help for better coding result.

3. Keep Results in Mind

If you need to figure out how to get motivated to do schoolwork, you have to figure out how to estimate the results of your activities. Do you need a few low evaluations? Do you need your colleagues to poke fun at you? Would you like to lose your confidence?

Most likely not; this is the reason you have to devote some time and exertion to getting your work done each day. You’ll get a lot of spare time after you finish it.

4. Study Buddy

Working with a companion can make schoolwork increasingly agreeable. You and your mate can likewise help keep each other motivated. Ensure you pick a companion who is not kidding about completing their work with the goal that you don’t wind up messing about and diverting from each other. 

Doing schoolwork with a companion doesn’t mean working together on similar assignments. You can simply get to know each other while you each accomplish your work. 

Check with your instructor first before cooperating with a companion on a task. They may need you to accomplish the work without anyone else. It is one of the best tips for how to get motivated to do homework.

5. Do Some Physical Exercise

Deal with your physical needs before working. It’s difficult to focus on schoolwork in case you’re faded out, hungry, or awkward. Attempt to get a lot of rest on the off chance that you realize you’ll need to do a lot of schoolwork the following day, and don’t attempt to take a shot at an unfilled stomach or with a full bladder! 

Doing breathing activities can likewise assist you with feeling progressively excellent and alert. 

In case you’re not in a comfortable manner, get changed before you begin working. This may mean joggers, workout pants, PJs, shorts, clothing, or in any event, being stripped. It’s your decision.

6. Take Breaks While You Work

It is one of the best tips for how to get motivated to do homework. You’ll get exhausted and lose concentration rapidly if you attempt to work excessively long without a break. Have a go at laboring for an hour to 90 minutes and afterward take a 15-minute break. This will allow your drained mind to rest and recharge.

During your breaks, you can take a walk, have a tidbit, do a little reflection, or even put your head down for a brisk force snooze. 

You can likewise utilize your breaks to compensate yourself with a pleasant video, or a fast game on your mobile.

7. Listen to Music

While working on homework, music is the best thing to stay motivated toward homework. You have to listen to soft music like calm music, and relaxing music. It helps you increase your concentration power and makes you interested in your schoolwork.

Moreover, you have to listen to music at a low volume, not loud. One of the best pieces of music is instrumental music because it has no lyrics. It is one of the best tips for how to get motivated to do homework.

8. Stay Organised

Staying organized is an essential step in getting motivated to do homework. Finding the materials you need can be challenging when you are not organized, leading to a waste of time and lost motivation. 

To stay organized, ensure you have a separate study space to keep your notes, textbooks, and other materials. Use a planner or a digital calendar to keep track of assignments and deadlines, so you don’t miss anything important. 

Make a to-do list for each study session, outlining the tasks you need to complete. Breaking the work into smaller, more manageable tasks will make you feel less overwhelmed and more motivated to start.

On the other hand, another way to stay organized is to minimize distractions. Turn off your phone or put it in another room, so you cannot check it while working. 

Avoid studying in areas with a lot of noise or other distractions, like in front of the TV or a crowded coffee shop. When you create an organized and distraction-free study environment, staying focused and motivated to do homework will be easier.

How Do You Do Homework When You Can’t Focus?

If you can’t focus on your work, you will continue asking yourself, for what reason am I awful at doing schoolwork? But, this shouldn’t be the situation by any stretch of the imagination. 

Some Points to Stay Focused

• Take some cappuccino to stimulate the mind. 
• Change the environment for a while. 
• Take a cold shower before work
• Listen to the favorite playlist, then start work.
• Likely 30-minute rest is suggested 
• Go to a calm room and settle there

Let’s now discuss why a student does not want to do homework.  

10 Reasons Why Students Does Not Want To Do Homework

Here are 10 reasons why students do not want to do homework: 

• Lack of interest in the subject.
• Over workload or too much homework assigned.
• Difficulty understanding the material or feeling unprepared.
• Procrastination or poor time management skills.
• Prioritizing other activities over homework.
• Lack of motivation or feeling demotivated by previous experiences with homework.
• Personal or family issues that affect the ability to focus on homework.
• Feeling tired after a long day of school or other activities.
• Feeling like the homework is irrelevant or not useful for future goals.
• Having difficulty balancing schoolwork and personal responsibilities.

How to stop procrastinating your homework?

Well, this is an important question. Many students delay their homework and complete it at the very last minute. This is very common. Following are some ways you can use to stop avoiding your homework. 

1. Prioritizing Your Plan

Prepare a strategy to do your homework. It may seem terrifying to think about all the tasks to accomplish, but you can stop yourself from avoiding homework by setting priorities.

Make sure to organize your study timetable. If you are doing any mathematics degree you might need assistance with math homework help. If so then get the best math homework help now.

2. Gather All Necessary Resources

Collect all the material required for your homework. It saves your time as well as you don’t need to look here and there to complete your task. 

3. Understand the value of Homework

Teachers assign homework to the students to revise all the things taught in the classroom. But, students do not know the significance and value of their assignments.

They think homework is irrelevant. If they understand the importance of their homework, they will find it interesting and never feel bored while doing homework. 

• Hidden Secrets of How to Motivate For Study
• How to Motivate Yourself And Get The Best Out of Your Efforts
• Ultimate Guide to How to Finish Your Homework Faster

Conclusion-

All in all, homework plays a vital role in each student’s academic life. However, in this blog, we learned how to get motivated to do homework. The above tips help you to stay motivated toward your homework. So, Good Luck! All the best for your future.

Moreover, our experts provide you with experienced strategies and the best knowledge about every topic. If you want any help, you can contact us for any type of queries and doubts; we will always help you in our best way. On the other hand, if you are interested in programming then get the best javascript homework help now.

Q1. What Is Homework Spelled Backwards?

Does homework spelled backward translate to ‘child abuse’ in Latin? Is it true, Well according to the research, it is totally fake, there is no truth regarding homework spelled backwards actually translates to “child abuse” in Latin language. On the other hand, “ krowemoh ” is not a latin word, because word “W” does not exist in latin language

Q2. What Does Homework Stand For?

The most common acronym that is associated with Homework is – Half Of My Energy Wasted On Random Knowledge.

Related Posts

7+ Tips On How To Get Higher Grades In Exams In 2023

Experts Tips On How to Get Good Grades in Exams

Donate (opens in a new window)

Curriculum and Instruction

Key Lessons: What Research Says About the Value of Homework

Whether homework helps students — and how much homework is appropriate — has been debated for many years. Homework has been in the headlines again recently and continues to be a topic of controversy, with claims that students and families are suffering under the burden of huge amounts of homework. School board members, educators, and parents may wish to turn to the research for answers to their questions about the benefits and drawbacks of homework. Unfortunately, the research has produced mixed results so far, and more research is needed. Nonetheless, there are some findings that can help to inform decisions about homework. What follows is a summary of the research to date:

There is no conclusive evidence that homework increases student achievement across the board. Some studies show positive effects of homework under certain conditions and for certain students, some show no effects, and some suggest negative effects (Kohn 2006; Trautwein and Koller 2003).

Some studies have shown that older students gain more academic benefits from homework than do younger students, perhaps because younger students have less-effective study habits and are more easily distracted (Cooper 1989; Hoover-Dempsey et al. 2001; Leone and Richards 1989; Muhlenbruck et al. 2000).

Some researchers believe that students from higher-income homes have more resources (such as computers) and receive more assistance with homework, while low-income students may have fewer resources and less assistance and are therefore less likely to complete the homework and reap any related benefits (McDermott, Goldmen and Varenne 1984; Scott-Jones 1984).

Students with learning disabilities can benefit from homework if appropriate supervision and monitoring are provided (Cooper and Nye 1994; Rosenberg 1989).

A national study of the influence of homework on student grades across five ethnic groups found that homework had a stronger impact on Asian American students than on students of other ethnicities (Keith and Benson, 1992).

Certain nonacademic benefits of homework have been shown, especially for younger students. Indeed, some primary-level teachers may assign homework for such benefits, which include learning the importance of responsibility, managing time, developing study habits, and staying with a task until it is completed (Cooper, Robinson and Patall 2006; Corno and Xu 2004; Johnson and Pontius 1989; Warton 2001).

While research on the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework is limited, there are indications that for high school students, 1½ to 2½ hours per night is optimum. Middle school students appear to benefit from smaller amounts (less than 1 hour per night). When students spend more time than this on homework, the positive relationship with student achievement diminishes (Cooper, Robinson, and Patall 2006).

Some research has shown that students who spend more time on homework score higher on measures of achievement and attitude. Studies that have delved more deeply into this topic suggest, however, that the amount of homework assigned by teachers is unrelated to student achievement, while the amount of homework actually completed by students is associated with higher achievement (Cooper 2001; Cooper, Lindsay, Nye, and Greathouse 1998).

Studies of after-school programs that provide homework assistance have found few definite links to improved student achievement. Several studies, however, noted improvements in student motivation and work habits, which may indirectly affect achievement (Cosden, Morrison, Albanese, and Macias 2001; James-Burdumy et al. 2005).

Homework assignments that require interaction between students and parents result in higher levels of parent involvement and are more likely to be turned in than noninteractive assignments. Some studies have shown, however, that parent involvement in homework has no impact on student achievement. Other studies indicate that students whose parents are more involved in their homework have lower test scores and class grades — but this may be because the students were already lower performing and needed more help from their parents than did higher-performing students. (Balli, Wedman, and Demo 1997; Cooper, Lindsay, and Nye 2000; Epstein 1988; Van Voorhis 2003).

Most teachers assign homework to reinforce what was presented in class or to prepare students for new material. Less commonly, homework is assigned to extend student learning to different contexts or to integrate learning by applying multiple skills around a project. Little research exists on the effects of these different kinds of homework on student achievement, leaving policymakers with little evidence on which to base decisions (Cooper 1989; Foyle 1985; Murphy and Decker 1989).

Liked it? Share it!

Balli, S. J., Wedman, J. F., & Demo, D. H. (1997). Family involvement with middle-grades homework: Effects of differential prompting. Journal of Experimental Education, 66, 31-48.

Cooper, H. (1989). Homework. White Plains, N.Y.: Longman.

Cooper, H. (2001). Homework for all — in moderation. Educational Leadership, 58, 34-38.

Cooper, H., Lindsay, J. J, Nye, B., & Greathouse, S. (1998). Relationships among attitudes about homework, amount of homework assigned and completed, and student achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(1), 70-83.

Cooper, H., & Nye, B. (1994). Homework for students with learning disabilities: The implications of research for policy and practice. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 470-479.

Cooper, H., Nye, B.A., & Lindsay, J.J. (2000). Homework in the home: How student, family and parenting style differences relate to the homework process. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(4), 464-487.

Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., & Patall, E. A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research. Review of Educational Research, 76, 1-62.

Corno, L., & Xu, J. (2004). Homework as the job of childhood. Theory Into Practice, 43, 227-233.

Cosden, M., Morrison, G., Albanese, A. L., & Macias, S. (2001). When homework is not home work: After-school programs for homework assistance. Educational Psychologist, 36(3), 211-221.

Epstein, J. L. (1998). Homework practices, achievements, and behaviors of elementary school students. Baltimore: Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED301322]

Foyle, H. C. (1985). The effects of preparation and practice homework on student achievement in tenth-grade American history (Doctoral dissertation, Kansas State University, 1985). Dissertation Abstracts International, 45, 8A.

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Battiato, A. C., Walker, J. M. T., Reed, R. P., DeJong, J. M. & Jones, K. P. (2001). Parental involvement in homework. Educational Psychologist, 36, 195-209.

James-Burdumy, S., Dynarski, M., Moore, M., Deke, J., Mansfield, W., Pistorino, C. & Warner, E. (2005). When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Final Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education/Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

Johnson, J. K., & Pontius, A. (1989). Homework: A survey of teacher beliefs and practices. Research in Education, 41, 71-78.

Keith, T. Z., & Benson, M. J. (1992). Effects of manipulable influences on high school grades across five ethnic groups. Journal of Educational Research, 86, 85-93.

Kohn, A. (2006, September). Abusing research: The study of homework and other examples. Phi Delta Kappan, 8-22.

Leone, C. M., & Richards, M. H. (1989). Classwork and homework in early adolescence: The ecology of achievement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 18, 531-548.

McDermott, R. P., Goldman, S. V., & Varenne, H. (1984). When school goes home: Some problems in the organization of homework [Abstract]. Teachers College Record, 85, 391-409.

Muhlenbruck, L., Cooper, H., Nye, B., & Lindsay, J. J. (2000). Homework and achievement: explaining the different strengths of relation at the elementary and secondary school levels. Social Psychology of Education, 3, 295-317.

Murphy, J. & Decker, K. (1989). Teachers’ use of homework in high schools. Journal of Educational Research, 82(5), 261-269.

Rosenberg, M. S. (1989). The effects of daily homework assignments on the acquisition of basic skills by students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22, 314-323.

Scott-Jones, D. (1984). Family influences on cognitive development and school achievement. Review of Research in Education, 11, 259-304.

Trautwein, U., & Koller, O. (2003). The relationship between homework and achievement — still much of a mystery. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 115-145.

Van Voorhis, F. L. (2003). Interactive homework in middle school: Effects on family involvements and science achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 96(6), 323-338.

Warton, P. M. (2001). The forgotten voice in homework: Views of students. Educational Psychologist, 36, 155-165.

Related Topics

Almost forgot!

First order goes with FREE EXTRA - plagiarism report. How cool is that?

Thanks, but I don’t like free stuff

How To Get Motivated To Do Homework

Article by Herman Barnes

Northeastern's Human Services program graduate, Herman Barnes contributes to our blog pro bono. He sees his mission in helping students prepare for academic careers by providing them with experience and skill-based background required for successful studying and research.

other articles by author

If you are one of those lucky few who either love doing homework or are strong-willed enough to soldier on – just skip this post. It’s specifically for those who have no motivation to do homework but wish they had.

Why Should I Do My Homework?

Finding your own answer to this question is the key to finding your motivation for homework. “Because the teacher told me so” or “because I’m supposed to” won’t do – otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. How about these to motivate yourself?

Because good grades will help me get my dream job

Some subjects are more interesting than others. Some are flat-out boring you out of your wits. However, you can evaluate the usefulness of a subject for your personal goals. For example, Math is not everyone’s jam, but it is required to do so many exciting things! You want to design games? You need math to balance them. You want to design buildings and urban spaces? You need math. You want to launch spaceships? Math again.

Whenever you are down on motivation, think about what you are working towards – be it a college degree or your big dream – and say to yourself “I do my homework to achieve that one day!”

Because I need to know this stuff

Some of the things they make your learn are just essential for you to lead a healthy and safe life. If everyone knew their Physics, we wouldn’t have so many domestic accidents – with electric outlets, exploding microwaves, burning oil, shattered hot dishes, and so on. If everyone knew their English, we would know how to put our thoughts into words and would understand each other better. If everyone knew their History, there would be much less hate and conflict.

Because it makes me smarter

Homework may seem stupid, but it teaches you things you need to know – even if this is not immediately evident. It shapes your thinking.

You think that memorizing the morphology of a flower or blood-vascular system of a frog is a waste of time? It teaches you systems thinking. Geometry? – Logic and pattern recognition. Literature? Social and emotional intelligence. Math problems? Problem-solving, duh!

You think you won’t need half of what you learn at school in real life? Spot on! Yet you will need all the skills you acquire along with it.

What If I Don’t Want To Do My Homework Anyway?

“What if I know why I should, but I can’t make myself do my homework? Last week I didn’t do my homework because I just couldn’t! I set there at the desk and tried to concentrate – and just nothing!”

I’ve been waiting for that question. Mindfulness and reasoning don’t always do the trick. Sometimes, you need something a little bit more practical.

How To Do Homework When You Don’t Want To

Procrastination tricks even the most reasonable of us into hours of unproductive fiddling. Overcoming it is hard work in itself, but boy does it pay off! Here are the arguments to reason with yourself.

In two-hour time I want to be free

If you give in to your desire for instant gratification, you know you will let yourself down. Just a bit of fun before you start working! And where do you find yourself later? The same pile of work to do, minus two hours, plus a ton of guilt for failing the mission. Is it where you want to be?

Instead, try to imagine the sense of achievement. Imagine how you will feel when your work is already done. Imagine how proud you are of yourself and how cool it is to play and do whatever you want when you are free! Positive reinforcement is the best motivation!

Well begun is half done

To start is the hardest part. Yet once you are in the flow, it gets easier to continue. This is the simple truth behind the above English proverb, Japanese kaizen principle, and the pomodoro technique invented by an Italian student.

Set a timer to 15 or 25 minutes, and – this is important! – concentrate on the task at hand until the timer runs out. No excuses! Only 15 minutes – this is not hard. When the time will run out, chances are high that you will choose to continue and gather momentum.

I owe it to my future self

Think of it this way – by procrastinating, you postpone unpleasant tasks for a little while only to dump them all on your future self. Your future self won’t appreciate that. No one appreciates being a scapegoat.

You lie to yourself that eating ice cream or watching YouTube instead of doing homework is self-care, while real self-care would be literally caring for your [future] self and doing that homework right now.

How Do You Not Be Lazy To Do Homework

There is no such thing as laziness. Laziness simply does not exist. If you are going out of your way to avoid doing homework, try to find the reason for this aversion.

Are you well-rested?

If you cannot collect your thoughts no matter how hard you try, chances are you are tired or sleep-deprived. Nothing undermines our cognitive ability as a lack of proper rest. If you have enough sleep but still don’t feel refreshed, try tracking the amount of deep sleep. This is the most essential phase for memory and learning. You should have 1 to 2 hours of deep sleep every night.

If you have less, something in your environment must be getting in the way – streetlights in the window, noises in the street, uncomfortable pillow, high temperature in the room. Look around you and fix that.

Are you hungry/thirsty?

As the saying goes, a sharp stomach makes short devotion. You cannot concentrate on anything if your basic biological needs aren’t met. So go ahead, grab some healthy snack, drink a glass of water – but make it quick. You don’t want to make an excuse out of it.

Are you comfortable?

If you keep fidgeting and don’t seem to find a comfortable position, maybe you need to change the place where you study. Check if the desk and the chair are of the right height for you. Make sure your environment does not bother you. Loud colors, distracting noises, or strong smells (even the pleasant ones) can ruin the focus.

Are you just okay?

If you find doing homework and household chores harder than it used to be and feel apathetic towards things that used to bring you joy, this might be a sign that you are depressed. Try to think what could upset you. Maybe it’s something at the back of your mind that you forgot.

If there are no apparent reasons, you might want to see a doctor about it. Don’t just shrug it off. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health issues in teens and young adults.

How Do You Focus On Homework Without Getting Distracted

Now that you got yourself to do the homework, you must make sure that nothing distracts you. Here are the things to do.

Use music strategically

Music can be a great helper, but sometimes it is too distracting. Don’t listen to the radio when you are trying to concentrate. Create a study playlist of calm instrumental music. Leave songs with captivating lyrics or dance rhythms for breaks.

Get your phone out of sight

Turn it off, put it under the pillow, at least mute the notifications, and set the “Do not disturb” status in all your messengers. Don’t get near it for the two hours that you intend to study. Seriously, it makes wonders. Also, tell your family/roommates that you are studying and will be available for socializing later.

Make breaks

Keeping focus for hours straight is a fool’s errand. Your brain will find ways to distract itself. To avoid this, make a 10-15 minute break every hour to freshen up and regain concentration.

Don’t run away with it. If you tend to slip back into procrastination mode – set a timer to make sure you are not making your breaks unproductively long.

Don’t be afraid

One of the most common reasons people procrastinate is fear of failure. The task just seems too daunting, or too complicated, or too big. Don’t let it intimidate you. Break it into smaller tasks and do it one by one. If you have a term project, set aside time in your schedule when you will work on it. Two hours every week – that doesn’t sound as bad as “twenty pages by the end of the term”, does it?

Related posts

Lifelong Learning for Writers: Exploring Emerging Trends

Best Reading Strategies for Students

Inclusive Language: Writing for Gender and Identity Diversity

The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Writing

Our Services:

• Buy A Resume Online
• Order Gcse Coursework
• History Coursework Examples
• Order Coursework
• Buy A Book Report
• Architecture Essay
• Online Essays Order
• Custom Research Paper Writing Service

Nice to meet you!

Take your 15% discount for your first order!

Copyright © 2009-2023 EvolutionWriters.com

Get Started Today!

• Centre Details
• Ask A Question
• Change Location
• Programs & More

How To Keep Your Child Motivated When Studying: 11 Tips For Parents

As children get older, more responsibility is placed on them to doing their homework and stay on top of their assignments. While some students have the motivation to complete their homework on time, other students struggle to get started and need help with homework.

Although it’s important for parents to take an active role in ensuring their child completes homework, it’s also important to not force your child to do it—there’s a big difference between forcing and motivating.

Encouraging your child to find motivation in a positive way is important for building habits that last. Forcing your child to do work can make them resent homework time, making self-motivation much more difficult to achieve.

So what can you do when your child has no motivation to study? Check out these tips to help your child find the drive to get homework done.

How To Stay Motivated For Homework

1. find out what’s stopping your child from doing their homework.

Your child may be unmotivated to study for a number of reasons. Finding the root of the problem will help with homework and help you and your child develop a plan to overcome the barriers that are preventing him or her from doing their homework.

Some reasons for lack of motivation may be:

• Poor understanding of the material
• Work that isn’t challenging enough
• Work that isn’t suited to his or her learning style
• Anxiety about school
• Low self-confidence

2. Make Homework Time Easier

Make study time as easy as possible for your child by providing him or her with everything needed to get work done:

• Quiet space: Find a quiet, distraction-free space for your child to study.
• Food and drink: If your child is hungry, it can be hard to focus on work. Give your child a light snack before a study session and plenty of water to ensure he or she can remain focused.
• The right tools: Make sure pencils, an eraser, a calculator, and other important tools are easily accessible so time isn’t wasted trying to find them.

Making sure your child has everything he or she needs means less resistance and fewer excuses.

3. Create A Homework Help Plan Together

Children do well with structure—having a solid study plan in place will help keep your child on track. Sit down with your child and create a plan for doing their homework each night. Including your child in the process will help keep him or her engaged (and more willing to adhere to the plan!)

Your plan should include:

• When homework is to be done each day
• How much time should be spent on doing their homework
• How often to take breaks and for how long
• What tasks should be prioritized (i.e. assignments that are due the soonest)

4. Create A Reward System

Build a reward system with your child so he or she has something to look forward to once study time is complete—the key to staying motivated when studying. The rewards can be as simple as watching TV once homework is done or collecting ‘points’ after each study session to use for something special.

5. Limiting Stress Will Help with Homework

If your child is stressed, he or she might find it difficult to study, or even find the motivation to get started in the first place. Help your child relieve stress by spending time with him or her and encouraging conversations about thoughts and feelings.

Make sure your child has enough time each evening to de-stress. Discuss activities to do during study breaks or after doing their homework is complete that can help lower stress, such as:

• Going for a walk
• Listening to music

6. Focus On Learning Instead Of Performance

Instead of focusing primarily on grades, celebrate milestones related to learning—both big and small.

This might be when your child successfully solves a tricky math problem, or when he or she finishes writing the first draft of an essay. When switching the focus to learning, your child can find more enjoyment in accomplishing work, helping boost motivation.

7. Encourage Your Child To Set Small Goals

Encourage your child to set small, achievable study goals based on what needs to be accomplished. Setting goals gives your child clear directions for what needs to be done, and boosts confidence when he or she accomplishes these goals.

Some examples of studying goals include:

• Read one chapter of the assigned reading
• Review notes for twenty minutes
• Complete 5 practice questions from the textbook

8. Try Different Techniques

There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution for studying—every student has a slightly different way of learning. If your child is studying with a method that doesn’t match his or her learning style, he or she might get frustrated because grasping the material becomes much more difficult. Try different studying techniques to see what works best for your child.

9. Take Proper Study Breaks

Although it can be tempting to try to get your child to doing their homework done in one go, the brain can lose focus without breaks (especially for younger students). Dividing study time into manageable chunks is important for keeping your child’s mind fresh and engaged. Encourage your child to take proper study breaks during a study session. Keep these tips in mind for a productive study break:

• Use a timer to remind your child when it’s time to take a break
• Take breaks after about 30 minutes of work
• Keep breaks between 5-10 minutes long

10. Encourage Exercise

Pent-up energy leads to frustration and makes studying even more difficult. Regular exercise improves overall well-being and reduces stress, making it’s easier for doing their homework.

Make sure your child is getting plenty of physical activity each day before studying. Even a quick walk around the block during a study break is a great way to allow your child to get blood flowing to the brain and helps avoid frustration and burnout.

11. Provide Help With Homework For Your Child

Keep open communication with your child, and offer support when needed. This might include making arrangements to talk with your child’s teacher, getting your child some extra help , or just lending an ear when your child is feeling overwhelmed. Knowing that support is available will help your child develop the confidence to tackle any problems that might arise.

See how you can motivate your child to do their homework.

Help Your Child Get Help With Homework

Avoid the dreaded homework battle and use the tips above to help your child develop good study habits. While as a parent it’s important to make sure your child’s doing their homework, it’s important to not force your child to do it. Instead, focus on making study time a positive experience so your child can build self-motivation to get it completed on time.

If your child is struggling in a certain area or getting stuck on a certain subject, Oxford Learning is here to help! Contact us today to find out how we can help your child achieve success in school and beyond.

For more help with motivation and focus, check out these other resources: How To Study At Home (Without Getting Distracted) 5 Factors That Impact Your Child’s Focus (& How To Recognize Them)

How To Be A More Productive Student: 8 Tips & Things To Avoid

11 tips for helping your child manage a lot of homework, related homework resources.

Canadian Attitudes Toward Homework

Homework Help: Everything You Need to Know

Attention & Focus, Homework

7 ways to help slow-working students.

Should Students be Allowed to Redo Their Work?

Find an oxford learning ® location near you, we have over 100 centres across canada.

• Published: 23 November 2022

Taking a person-centered approach to student homework motivation: combining achievement goal and expectancy-value theories

• Jianzhong Xu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0269-4590 1  

Current Psychology ( 2022 ) Cite this article

453 Accesses

2 Altmetric

Metrics details

This study classified profiles of homework motivation applying achievement goal theory (AGT) and expectancy-value theory (EVT). Participants were 918 middle school students. Latent profile analysis (LPA) produced a 4-profile solution: Very Low Mastery-Approach , Low Motivation , Moderate Motivation , and High Motivation. Furthermore, profile membership predicted homework behavior and mathematics achievement. Additionally, there was the added benefit of combining both theories while creating homework motivational profiles. Our study suggests that promoting all four types of homework motivation beliefs, particularly with mastery-approach, may result in most desirable patterns of homework behavior and academic achievement.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution .

Access options

Buy single article.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Rent this article via DeepDyve.

Data availability

Yes, but upon reasonable request.

Asparouhov, T., & Muthén, B. O. (2013). Auxiliary variables in mixture modeling: 3-step approaches using M plus . Mplus Web Notes , 15 , 1–24.

Cellar, D. F., Stuhlmacher, A. F., Young, S. K., Fisher, D. M., Adair, C. K., Haynes, S., Twichell, E., Arnold, K. A., Royer, K., Denning, B. L., & Riester, D. (2011). Trait goal orientation, self-regulation, and performance: a meta-analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology, 26 (4), 467–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9201-6

Article   Google Scholar  

Chen, W. W., & Wong, Y. L. (2015). Chinese mindset: theories of intelligence, goal orientation and academic achievement in Hong Kong students. Educational Psychology, 35 (6), 714–725. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2014.893559

Clark, S. L., & Muthén, B. (2009). Relating latent class analysis results to variables not included in the analysis . Available at: http://statmodel2.com/download/relatinglca.pdf . Accessed 8 Aug 2022 

Conley, A. M. (2012). Patterns of motivation beliefs: combining achievement goal and expectancy-value perspectives. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104 (1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026042

Cooper, H., Lindsay, J. J., Nye, B., & Greathouse, S. (1998). Relationships among attitudes about homework, amount of homework assigned and completed, and student achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90 (1), 70–83. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.90.1.70

Du, J., Xu, J., & Fan, X. (2016). Investigating factors that influence students’ help seeking in math homework: a multilevel analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 48 , 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.03.002

Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2020). From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: a developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61 , 101859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101859

Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (2005). Competence and motivation: competence as the core of achievement motivation. In A. J. Elliot, & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 3–12). Guilford.

Fan, H., Xu, J., Cai, Z., He, J., & Fan, X. (2017). Homework and students’ achievement in math and science: a 30-year meta-analysis, 1986–2015. Educational Research Review, 20 , 35–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.003

Jung, T., & Wickrama, K. A. (2008). An introduction to latent class growth analysis and growth mixture modeling. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2 (1), 302–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00054.x

Katz, I., Kaplan, A., & Gueta, G. (2009). Students’ needs, teachers’ support, and motivation for doing homework: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Experimental Education, 78 (2), 246–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220970903292868

King, R. B., & McInerney, D. M. (2014). The work avoidance goal construct: examining its structure, antecedents, and consequences. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 39 (1), 42–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2013.12.002

Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., Middleton, M. J., Ciani, K. D., Easter, M. A., O’Keefe, P. A., & Zusho, A. (2012). The strength of the relation between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations: theoretical, methodological, and instructional implications. Educational Psychologist, 47 (4), 281–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722515

Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., & Patall, E. A. (2016). Motivation. In L. Corno, & E. Anderman (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (3rd ed., pp. 91–103). Taylor & Francis

Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., Wormington, S. V., Snyder, K. E., Riggsbee, J., Perez, T., Ben-Eliyahu, A., & Hill, N. E. (2018). Multiple pathways to success: an examination of integrative motivational profiles among upper elementary and college students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110 (7), 1026–1048. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000245

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Murayama, K., & Elliot, A. J. (2009). The joint influence of personal achievement goals and classroom goal structures on achievement-relevant outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101 (2), 432–447. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014221

Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2013). Version 7.1 Mplus Language Addendum . Retrieved from  http://www.statmodel.com/download/Version7.1xLanguage.pdf . Accessed 8 Aug 2022 

Piñeiro, I., Estévez, I., Freire, C., De Caso, A., Souto, A., & González-Sanmamed, M. (2019). The role of prior achievement as an antecedent to student homework engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , 140. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00140

Rao, N., Moely, B. E., & Sachs, J. (2000). Motivational beliefs, study strategies, and mathematics attainment in high- and low-achieving chinese secondary school students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25 (3), 287–316. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1003

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61 , 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Senko, C., & Freund, A. M. (2015). Mastery-avoidance achievement goal effects in young versus elderly adults: a laboratory test. Motivation and Emotion, 39 , 477–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9474-1

Senko, C., Hulleman, C. S., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2011). Achievement goal theory at the crossroads: old controversies, current challenges, and new directions. Educational Psychologist, 46 (1), 26–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2011.538646

Shell, D. F., & Husman, J. (2008). Control, motivation, affect, and strategic self-regulation in the college classroom: a multidimensional phenomenon. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100 (2), 443–459. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.2.443

Sun, M., Du, J., Xu, J., & Liu, F. (2019). Homework goal orientation scale: measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender and grade level. Psychology in the Schools, 56 (3), 465–477. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22206

Snyder, K. E., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2013). A developmental, person-centered approach to exploring multiple motivational pathways in gifted underachievement. Educational Psychologist, 48 (4), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2013.835597

Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, O., Schnyder, I., & Niggli, A. (2006). Predicting homework effort: support for a domain-specific, multilevel homework model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98 (2), 438–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.98.2.438

Urban, T., & Kaplan, A. (2020). The origins, evolution, and future directions of achievement goal theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61 , 101862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101862

Valle, A., Piñeiro, I., Rodríguez, S., Regueiro, B., Freire, C., & Rosário, P. (2019). Time spent and time management in homework in elementary school students: a person-centered approach. Psicothema, 31 (4), 422–428. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2019.191

Wang, H., & Lehman, J. D. (2021). Using achievement goal-based personalized motivational feedback to enhance online learning. Educational Technology Research & Development, 69 (2), 553–581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-09940-3

Wigfield, A., & Cambria, J. (2010). Students’ achievement values, goal orientations, and interest: definitions, development, and relations to achievement outcomes. Developmental Review, 30 (1), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2009.12.001

Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Fredricks, J. A., Simpkins, S., Roeser, R. W., & Schiefele, U. (2015). Development of achievement motivation and engagement. In M. E. Lamb, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science, Vol.3. Socioemotional processes (7th ed., pp. 657–700). Wiley.

Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Schiefele, U., Roeser, R. W., & Davis-Kean, P. (2006). Development of achievement motivation. In N. Eisenberg, W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol.3 . Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp.933 – 1002). Wiley.

Wolters, C. (2011). Regulation of motivation: contextual and social aspects. Teachers College Record, 113 (11), 265–283.

Xu, J. (2008). Models of secondary students’ interest in homework: a multilevel analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 45 (4), 1180–1205. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831208323276

Xu, J. (2017). Homework expectancy value scale for high school students: measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender and grade level. Learning and Individual Differences, 60 , 10–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.10.003

Xu, J. (2018). Reciprocal effects of homework self-concept, interest, effort, and math achievement. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 55 , 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.09.002

Xu, J. (2020). Longitudinal effects of homework expectancy, value, effort, and achievement: an empirical investigation. International Journal of Educational Research, 99 , 101507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.101507

Xu, J. (2022a). A profile analysis of online assignment motivation: combining achievement goal and expectancy-value perspectives. Computers & Education, 177 , 104367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104367

Xu, J. (2022b). More than minutes: a person-centered approach to homework time, homework time management, and homework procrastination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 70 , 102087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2022.102087

Xu, J., & Corno, L. (1998). Case studies of families doing third grade homework. Teachers College Record, 100 (2), 402–436.

Xu, J., & Corno, L. (2003). Family help and homework management reported by middle school students. Elementary School Journal, 103 (5), 503–518. https://doi.org/10.1086/499737

Xu, J., & Corno, L. (2022). Extending a model of homework: a multilevel analysis with chinese middle school students. Metacognition and Learning, 17 (2), 531–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-022-09296-w

Xu, J., Fan, X., & Du, J. (2015). Homework Management Scale: confirming the factor structure with middle school students in China. Psychology in the Schools, 52 (4), 419–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21826

Xu, J., Du, J., Liu, F., & Huang, B. (2019). Emotion regulation, homework completion, and math achievement: testing models of reciprocal effects. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 59 , 101810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101810

Xu, J., Du, J., Wang, C., Liu, F., Huang, B., Zhang, M., & Xie, J. (2020). Intrinsic motivation, favorability, time management, and achievement: a cross-lagged panel analysis. Learning and Motivation, 72 , 101677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101677

Xu, J., Wang, C., Du, J., & Núñez, J. C. (2022). Profiles of student-perceived teacher homework involvement, and their associations with homework behavior and mathematics achievement: a person-centered approach. Learning and Individual Differences, 96 , 102159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102159

Yang, F., & Xu, J. (2015). Examining the psychometric properties of the Homework Management Scale for high school students in China. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33 (3), 268–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282914548326

Yang, F., & Xu, J. (2018). Homework expectancy value scale: measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 36 (8), 863–868. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282917714905

Yang, F., Xu, J., Tan, H., & Liang, N. (2016). What keeps chinese students motivated in doing math homework? An empirical investigation. Teachers College Record, 118 (8), 1–26.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 9727, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

Jianzhong Xu

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianzhong Xu .

Ethics declarations

Ethics of approval.

Procedures used in the current study were in accordance with American Psychological Association ethical regulations concerning human participants. Ethical Declarations. I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Conflict of interest

Additional information, publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

LPA of student homework motivation: Four-profile solution (AGT Alone)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Xu, J. Taking a person-centered approach to student homework motivation: combining achievement goal and expectancy-value theories. Curr Psychol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04044-4

Download citation

Accepted : 15 November 2022

Published : 23 November 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04044-4

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Expectancy and value
• Achievement goal
• Person-centered perspective

Advertisement

• Find a journal
• Publish with us

Homework help

Necessity of online homework help.

Contemporary world is a scene for competitions. Starting at early childhood environment immerse us into struggle for best positions. With constant population growth it becomes harder to get a place in kindergartens, schools for gifted children, prestigious universities and, of course, you are not alone in desire to have a well-paid job. Children since early age know that they must study hard, devote themselves into different subjects, and be successful and active in post-school projects. Under pressure of numerous complex tasks no wonder they often require homework help. For their needs special websites were launched. And now every child can get guidance and online homework help from every corner of the world. With opportunity to ask questions about necessary subjects he will at his own pace learn information. This also adds more individuality to process of studying, as children might experience problems with concentrated and fast group-learning. Online homework help is not merely a way to make grades better and to finish all tasks in time, it's personal attention and support. Websites offer plenty of subjects to work at, but according to searches most popular (as it's complicated to understand) is math homework help. This subject is a nightmare for both schoolchildren and their parents.

Why using college homework help is beneficial

It might come as surprise for graduates but when you enter college or university, amount of homework will be only increasing. Yes, besides lectures and practical courses you are obliged to do some homework too. And it might be incredibly more complicated than all things you have done in school. Plenty of students are struggling to cope with amount of tasks themselves but some are looking for websites for college homework help. With current subjects, with unknown teachers, with new classrooms it's stressful enough for young people to be focused. That's why students choose homework help discord, a place to discuss all difficulties online and solve problems. With guidance and support of experts it's easier to understand unknown topics and work on self-improvement. It's recommended not to torture yourself and get accounting homework help or any other kind of assistance. With wide range of professionals you can find a person no matter how complicated your task is.

Is it safe to trust strangers with important tasks?

Looking for online help with college or school tasks you might doubt reliability of person who is assisting you from other side of screen. How is it possible to find a proper tutor for difficult statistics homework help? Read reviews, study information, ask for certificates or diplomas to be assured you hire a true expert to perform job