We have been talking as a staff about we can further encourage pupils across the curriculum to care about what they are doing.

If they care about their curriculum and learning, they are more invested in it and are more likely to apply themselves, and be more independently motivated in their learning. 

This may seem obvious, but thinking back to my own schooling, I cannot remember any teacher explaining why a topic or skill was important, beyond the fact that it was part of an imposed syllabus, never mind how it would be of benefit to me, or how it would help me achieve my dreams and goals.

One study (Reeve et al., 2002) that illustrated this manipulated the environment in which the children were taught. Some were informed that they had to study hard because there would be a test. Others were told that it was what was expected of them. And some students were advised that learning the material would really help them achieve their goals. The result? Those who had the explanation as to why learning the topic would be useful them to (i.e. those that had a sense of purpose) rated the material as more important and were more likely to put in more effort to it.

Therefore, encouraging a sense of purpose gives children clear reasons for their actions. Such as a goal in life that makes them want to study, and perform well in school. There’s a close link with intrinsic motivation.

A sense of purpose can be encouraged in a number of ways.

• Cultivating curiosity
• Encouraging self-reflection
• Modelling and mentoring
• Connecting topics to the real world to bridge the gap between the classroom and life

The answer to a child’s question, “Why is this important?”, or, “Why are we studying this?”, should never be, “Because I said so”, or, “Because it’s in your exam.”
To nurture a sense of purpose, the motvation should be something that is important to them and their self worth.

I say it time and time again, I am truly fortunate to be Head of a school that’s got it right. At All Hallows, our pupils regularly comment that they ‘feel they belong’, and much of this is cultivated through them having a purpose.

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