Motivating High School Student - Essay Example

The report further showed that over his/her lifetime, the cost to the economy for an average high school dropout is roughly $240,000 due to lower taxes, higher government aid program receipts, and higher crime rates. One important factor in high school students dropping out or completing their classes late is the lack of motivation in studying. A study conducted in 2006 showed that 7 out of 10 high school dropouts quit school because of lack of motivation (Bridgeland, Dijulio, & Morison, 2006).

Therefore, it is important to keep the high school students motivated so that they complete their classes successfully and in time. This paper discusses about some of the best ways to motivate high schools students to complete their classes, with a sense of accomplishment and pride, and graduate with their peers. Before discussing on how to motivate high school students, it is important to understand the underlying reasons that make students unmotivated to complete their classes. A study (2006) conducted by questioning 467 dropouts from different ethnic backgrounds shows several factors that contribute to the lack of motivation of high school students eventually leading to their dropping out. . 2) 43% said that they had missed too many classes and were not able to catch up.

38% said that they had too much freedom and not enough rules. It was too easy for them to skip classes. 3) 42% of the respondents said that spending time with other people not interested in school was the reason they dropped out of high school. 4) Pace of instructions at high school was also identified as another reason. When students needing extra attention do not receive it, they are likely to drop out. Poor pre-high school education was also identified as a major stumbling block as 45% said that their earlier schooling had poorly prepared them for high school and 35% said that failing in school was their reason for dropping out of high school. 5) 80% of dropouts said that they did one hour or less of homework each day in high school.

Also, two-thirds of them claimed that had they been demanded to study harder, they would probably have completed high school. 6) Another important reason for dropping out was poor involvement of their parents. They said that their parents got involved in their schooling only for discipline reasons or only after they learnt that their child was on the verge of dropping out. Most parents were not aware of their child’s grades. Several of respondents also said that they had to leave school for personal reasons like having to get a job and making money (32%), becoming a parent (26%), and having a family to care for (22%).

Having understood the reasons why high school students choose to dropout, we now focus on the best ways to motivate the high school students so that they can overcome these problems and complete their classes. Sass (1989) asked his students to give feedback on two recent classes, one where they felt they were highly motivated and