Motivation is a crucial concept in education but is often either overlooked or misunderstood by educators. There are multiple types of motivation to consider. Also, there are many ways that teachers and parents can promote the development of students’ motivation to learn. For instance, parental autonomy support and teacher autonomy support can both help students develop a long-term love for learning, whereas controlling styles of communication can decrease intrinsic motivation and increase academic anxiety. This entry discusses why motivation is important in education and long-term learning and looks at the key elements of motivation.

Motivation is a significant predictor of long-term achievement, above and beyond many other important factors such as intelligence, gender, ethnicity, and parent education. Part of the way motivation affects achievement is via ...