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With ever-changing government mandates, new standards for accountability and the uniquely diverse classroom of this millennium, educators are scrambling to meet the needs of all students, such that each unique learner, regardless of background, special needs, or level of commitment to coursework can demonstrate content mastery. Scaffolding students through a sequence of steps in the process of motivation via empirically proven strategies drives a creative and fun learning environment with a very high level of student engagement from learners of all backgrounds and strengths. Students embrace content in a way that is meaningful to them personally, enabling deeper levels of comprehension and varied application.
A challenge to educators today lies in understanding the components of motivation and determining how to empower students to strive for success. In order to facilitate motivation, teachers can put the pieces outlined in the literature to work within the classroom. The components of motivation described throughout the literature can be utilized to enable students to reach the content mastery that results from intrinsic motivation (see Figure 1). Students enrolling in family and consumer sciences (FCS) elective courses without an initial goal or purpose often lack the motivation to strive and thus may not master the content.
Motivation begins with psychological membership, a sense of belonging in the classroom. Walker and Greene (2009) supported this concept within the framework of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, stating that the basic human needs, including food and shelter, are the only precursors to the need for love and belonging within the context of personal growth and development. By developing a community environment within the classroom-which provides a safe haven for students both in the literal sense and in offering safe opportunities for academic risk-taking-along with a strong support system of adults and peers, teachers can help to foster a sense of belonging in the student. Students can feel at ease to take risks-experimenting with new concepts and learning strategies, engaging in meaningful discussions, and participating...