Welcome to Motivation Matters, a new blog sponsored by edweek.org. The concept of motivation has been a topic that has fascinated me for years, beginning in high school in the late 70s and early 80s, ...

IF YOU’RE setting out to make New Year’s resolutions, this is probably not the first time you have done so. It’s easy to get discouraged as one’s memory sometimes brings to mind past failures. But ...

IT HAS BEEN SAID that “People want to buy things, but they don’t want to be sold things.” Motivation theory agrees: There is a better way to earn a buyer’s business. The ability of a seller to ...

In the best-selling book Drive, author Daniel Pink attempts to simplify motivation science by suggesting the superiority of intrinsic over extrinsic motives to instill optimal work performance. When ...

Finding motivation to make changes as a leader can be both daunting and exciting — particularly in the summer, traditionally a time of vacation or respite from year-round routines. Play is important ...

For decades, educators have wondered how to best recapture students’ traveling eyes or prevent their heads from slumping onto their desks. Student engagement is a perennial challenge in the classroom, ...

Motivation is a powerful feeling that makes us excited to start something new, but it does not last forever. Some days we feel energetic and focused, while other days we feel tired, distracted, or ...

Everyone has moments when they’re not highly motivated until something external comes along. A competitor blitzes your field. A major client walks. Your culture cracks. Suddenly, your body—and ...

We frequently hear “How do I start a fitness regimen? It’s been forever since I exercised.” Following a period of inactivity people often want to resume exercise but don’t know how to do so safely and ...