Student Motivation & Engagement

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to get students involved and active in learning and classroom activities
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Teaching Does Competition Motivate Students? Teachers Weigh In
Teachers look for ways to engage students—especially at the end of the year, as motivation wanes. Is competition the answer?
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 22, 2025
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Mathematics Opinion Math Can Make Smart People Feel Dumb
A guide to how students and educators can tackle math in a “sensible, relevant” way while also allaying their fears.
Rick Hess, April 22, 2025
6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Want to Up Your Teaching Game? Listen to These Students
Students explain what makes them feel connected to their teachers and learning.
Larry Ferlazzo, April 22, 2025
9 min read
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.
April 9, 2025
Silhouette of virtual human head profile filled in with illuminating handwritten math equations from a dark blue background.
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Artificial Intelligence How AI Might Be Used to Motivate and Assess Students in Math
Gates Foundation education director outlines how AI might be used to improve math instruction.
Arianna Prothero, March 26, 2025
4 min read
SOT Lamberton BS THUMBNAIL
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Video Meet the Hometown Boy Turned Art Teacher (and Bus Driver, and Wrestling Coach, and ...)
Clayton Hubert is bus driver, art teacher, and coach. But even his small, tight-knit school community struggles with student engagement.
1 min read
Clayton Hubert is an art teacher who wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus each morning, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn.
Clayton Hubert, an art teacher, wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus some mornings, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn. Many teachers say the expectations of the role have grown far beyond classroom instruction.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Teaching in 2025: ‘Every Day Is a Crazy Day. It’s Fine.’
The profession is changing, and it's more challenging than ever. Resilient teachers are adapting. But at what cost?
26 min read
Student Well-Being Spotlight Spotlight on Student Engagement & Well-Being
This Spotlight will help you discover how educators are applying the science of reading and the importance of reading fluency, and more.

March 3, 2025
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Learn how hope, resilience, and belonging can transform school culture and empower students to actively shape their educational journeys.
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Jessica Arrow, a play-based learning kindergarten teacher, leads her kindergarten class back into their classroom from forest play time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
Jessica Arrow, a kindergarten teacher at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., leads her students back into their classroom from forest play time on Nov. 7, 2024. Boys crave strong relationships with their teachers, experts say.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Teaching Download Teachers, Here's How to Build Stronger Relationships With Boys (Downloadable)
Boys are relational learners, experts say. Here are eight key strategies for how to reach them.
5 min read
Jon Becker, upper school history and English teacher, has 9th grader Demetrios Karavedas stand on a chair and apologize for forgetting his book during their 9th grade English class at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland on Oct. 24, 2024 in Baltimore, Md.
Jon Becker, a history and English teacher at Boys' Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore, has 9th grader Demetrios Karavedas stand on a chair and apologize for forgetting his book on Oct. 24, 2024. Positive relationships with teachers matter for boys' academic motivation and success.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Boys Want a Strong Relationship With Their Teachers. That Doesn't Always Happen
The key to inspiring boys in the classroom is a strong student-teacher relationship, experts say. Here's how to make it work.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 27, 2025
7 min read