Motivating Science Students

If I knew the secret to motivating every science student, I would be a bazillionaire. Unfortunately, I don't know that secret, and I am always a little suspicious of anyone who claims they do.

Keeping students motivated is one of the hardest things we do as teachers. Some students walk into our classrooms excited to learn. Others walk in because science is required for graduation, and they would honestly rather be just about anywhere else. Some students arrive with confidence, curiosity, and strong support at home. Others are carrying burdens we may never fully understand.

If there were one simple strategy that motivated every student, every teacher in the world would already be using it. There is no single activity, reward system, lab, game, or pep talk that works for every student every day.

I do know there are things we can do to create a culture in our classrooms where motivation has a better chance to grow. None of them are magic. They are ordinary things done consistently: building relationships, helping students experience success, teaching them the skills they need, and continuing to care even when our best efforts do not seem to be working.

Motivation Usually Starts With Relationships

There is a saying I have heard many times over the years: “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It is not original, but it has always stuck with me because I believe there is a lot of truth in it.

I am not saying that teachers should spend all their time trying to get students to like them. That is not the goal, and it is not good for classroom management. Students need us to be the adults in the room. They need clear expectations, consistency, fairness, and structure.

But I do believe students are more willing to work for teachers they respect. Students don't begin respecting us overnight. Their respect grows little by little through hundreds of small interactions over the course of the school year.

Smile and tell them hello when they come in. Learn their names as quickly as possible. Say goodbye when they leave. Notice when a student who is usually cheerful suddenly looks down in the dumps. Ask if everything is okay, and then follow up a day or two later. You may not be able to fix what is wrong, but the student will know that you noticed and cared enough to ask again.

I have also learned not to jump down a kid’s throat over a minor infraction. There are absolutely times when behavior needs to be addressed, but not every small mistake needs to become a confrontation. Sometimes a quiet reminder, a look, or a calm conversation after class is much more effective than embarrassing a student in front of their peers.

Being a little laid back does not mean giving up control of your classroom. It means learning which battles matter, correcting students without humiliating them, and creating a classroom where students know you are both kind and consistent. In my experience, good classroom management and a welcoming classroom are not opposites. They support each other.

Success Is One of the Greatest Motivators

Early in my teaching career, I thought students had to be motivated before they could be successful. If I could just get them excited about biology or chemistry, everything else would fall into place. Over time, I realized I had it backwards.

Many students become motivated because they experience success, not the other way around. When students begin believing they can do something, their confidence grows. As their confidence grows, they become more willing to ask questions, participate in discussions, and tackle the next challenge.

Nothing motivates students more than discovering they really can do it.

Success builds confidence. Confidence fuels motivation.

Think about the student who has struggled in science for years. They walk into your classroom already convinced they are "bad at science." Every difficult assignment reinforces what they already believe about themselves. Then something changes. Perhaps they correctly interpret a graph for the first time. Maybe they successfully complete a lab investigation, explain a concept to a classmate, or organize a section of the chapter using a concept map. Whatever the activity, they suddenly experience something they have not felt in a while.

Success.

That small success can completely change the way a student feels about themselves. Instead of thinking, I can't do science, they begin thinking, Maybe I can. That difference in mindset often turns a lackadaisical student into a motivated student.

Teach Students How to Learn Science

I think one reason students become discouraged is that we sometimes assume they already know how to learn science.

Science is different from many other subjects. Students must learn to read informational text, analyze graphs, interpret data tables, identify patterns, construct explanations, organize vocabulary, connect ideas across an entire unit, and communicate evidence using scientific language. Those are not skills students are born with. They have to be taught.

Instead of assuming students already possessed those skills, teach them intentionally. In my classes, we practice reading science. We learn how to organize information with graphic organizers and concept maps. We spend time interpreting graphs, analyzing data, and thinking like scientists before trying to master difficult content.

When students have the tools they need to succeed, they begin believing success is possible. That belief is one of the greatest motivators I have ever seen in the classroom.

If you would like to learn more about teaching these foundational skills, take a look at my Ultimate Guide to Teaching Science Process Skills. It brings together many of the strategies I use to help students become more confident, independent science learners.

Give Students Opportunities to Do Science

I also believe students become more invested when they are actively involved in the learning process. Some days that means completing a laboratory investigation. Other days it means participating in a discussion, working with a partner, constructing a concept map, analyzing real data, or moving around the room during a lab station activity.

Science is more interesting when students are actively involved. Some days we complete labs. Other days we analyze data, construct concept maps, work in small groups, or move around the room during lab stations. Of course, there are also days when I stand at the front of the room and teach. Every one of those approaches has its place. The variety keeps students engaged.

Lab stations have always been one of my favorite activities because they keep students up and moving, which they love, and it provides the perfect opportunity for students to help one another.  Peer tutoring is a powerful tool. If you have never tried them, you might enjoy reading How to Make Lab Stations Work in Your Science Classroom.

One Student I'll Never Forget

Over the years, I've had many students who taught me important lessons, but one young man stands out more than most. He came to see me before his senior year because he wanted to take my AP Biology class. The problem was that he hadn't been on the honors track during his first three years of high school. His guidance counselor had already told him he couldn't take the class.

He came to my room anyway. He explained how badly he wanted the opportunity and then asked this question: "Is there anything you can do?" I believed him. He wasn't asking for an easy class. He wasn't looking for special treatment. He simply wanted someone to give him a chance.

I spoke with the guidance counselor and asked that he be enrolled in AP Biology. I still remember the response: "If I put him in your class, I'm not letting him out when he starts failing." I simply said, "That's okay." The student was enrolled.

The first few weeks were hard. Most of the other students had been together in honors classes for years, and he didn't really know anyone. The pace of the class was faster than anything he had experienced before, and there were certainly moments when he struggled.

During his study hall period, I asked if he would like to become my lab helper. He washed glassware, cleaned lab tables, organized equipment, and helped me get ready for upcoming labs. What started as an extra set of hands gradually became something much more valuable. We got to know each other.

Over the course of that year, I watched him work harder than almost anyone else in the class. He asked questions. He stayed after school when he needed help. He refused to quit. At the end of the year, he took the AP Biology exam.

He earned a 5 on the AP Biology exam.

I still smile when I think about this student. Not because he earned a perfect score, but because he reminded me that students are capable of so much more than we sometimes expect. Someone simply has to believe in them first. I never gave up on him, and more importantly, he never gave up on himself.

Sometimes Your Best Efforts Won't Be Enough

Here is the part of teaching that is heartbreaking. Sometimes your motivation efforts will fail. You will spend extra time with a struggling student. You will explain a concept three different ways. You will call home, send encouraging emails, stay after school, check in during class, and celebrate every small success you can find. You will genuinely care about that student, and sometimes, despite all of your efforts, nothing seems to change.

That doesn't mean you failed. Some students are carrying burdens that are much bigger than anything we can solve. We don't always know what happened before they walked through our classroom door that morning, and we don't always know what they're going home to that afternoon.

As teachers, we naturally want to fix things. We want to help our students. We want every one of them to leave our classroom excited about science and confident in themselves.

Unfortunately, some problems are simply bigger than we are. That realization can be discouraging, especially for new teachers. It is easy to wonder if you are making any difference at all.

You may not be able to solve every problem your students face, but you can always let them know they don't have to face them alone.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our students is simply our presence. We can listen. We can encourage. We can ask how they are doing. We can notice when something seems different. We can quietly remind them that tomorrow is a new day and another opportunity to succeed.

We can also choose kindness. Kindness is underestimated in education. Students may forget the details of a particular lesson or the score they earned on a quiz, but they rarely forget how a teacher made them feel. A smile at the classroom door, a word of encouragement after a difficult test, or a quiet conversation in the hallway may mean more than we ever realize.

I have former students who probably couldn't tell you the difference between mitosis and meiosis anymore, but they still remember something that happened in my classroom twenty years ago. It wasn't because I had the world's greatest lesson plan. It was because they felt seen, respected, and encouraged.

That is something every teacher can do.

The Goal Isn't to Create Perfectly Motivated Students

I think we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves. We believe every student should leave our classroom completely inspired, fascinated by science, and eager for tomorrow's lesson. While that would certainly be wonderful, it isn't realistic.

Our job isn't to create perfectly motivated students. Our job is to create a classroom where students feel safe enough to try, supported enough to ask questions, and confident enough to believe they can succeed. When that happens, motivation often takes care of itself.

One Final Thought

Every August, thousands of middle school and high school science teachers unlock their classroom doors wondering if they are ready for another school year. Both beginning teachers and veteran teachers will have a bad case of butterflies on the first day.

My best advice to teachers starting a new school year is simple. Care about your students. Teach them the skills they need to succeed. Celebrate their victories, even the small ones. Be patient when they struggle. Never stop believing that every student is capable of learning. Give them a break when they are having a bad day.

Never underestimate the difference you make by showing up every day and doing your best. You may never know which conversation changed a student's life. You may never know which encouraging comment gave someone the confidence to keep trying. You may never know which struggling student remembers you years later as the teacher who believed in them when they didn't believe in themselves.

But those times have happened in your class and will continue to happen. And this is what motivates me as a teacher.

You might also enjoy these related articles:

• The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Science Process Skills
• Tips for New (and Experienced!) Science Teachers
• Lab Stations: How to Make Them Work