Motivation is key to learning. Amabile and Kramer (2011) explain that strong motivation has been an essential driver in scientific discovery and the business world as well. They assert that:
Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work . And the more frequently people experience that sense of progress, the more likely they are to be creatively productive in the long run [my italics].— Amabile and Kramer, 2011: The Power of Small Wins in Harvard Business Review.
So for education, we need to design work so that students can be challenged (which makes it meaningful), yet be able to make good progress. It’s a delicate balance to get each student into their “flow zone“, where the work is neither too hard, nor too easy.
