Motivation is a huge part of effective learning and studying. Without the drive and desire to succeed, students will be unable to retain the information they learn and will be much less likely to participate in class – something that is key for active learning. From this, they will not be able to achieve their best results when it comes to current and future assignments and exams.
Motivation can come naturally to many students, particularly when there is a genuine love for the subject in question but for others, it can be a bit harder to come by. As a parent, there are several things you can do to encourage your child’s motivation, such as ensuring your child sticks to a regular daily routine, has time to themself to do what they enjoy and also by hiring an online tutor to support their studies.
In this article, we share our top advice for parents with children studying GCSE Science, but this advice is applicable for all subjects at GCSE and other academic levels. To find out more, keep reading!
We’ve already mentioned briefly how motivation can affect students studying for their Science GCSEs, but this is something we should look at in more detail if we want to ensure we can effectively encourage students to succeed. Firstly, it’s important to establish what your child’s goal is. Do they want to attain a specific grade to ensure that they can study their chosen Science subjects at A-Level? Are they looking to progress into a particular career path? Is future income a driving force?
Whatever it may be, your child will need motivation to achieve their goals. Granted, the goal alone might be enough to motivate the student, but sometimes a little extra help is required. It might leave you thinking: what can I do to help?
A distinct lack of motivation can cause a child to lose sight of their goals and in turn, will make them feel as though they are unachievable, thus reducing motivation further. To avoid this cycle, try and encourage your child to set smaller goals that are realistic and achievable as steps before they reach the end goal. For example, if your child wants to be a doctor, encourage them to work backwards from the end point and let them visualise the smaller and more achievable goals they can reach before that, such as achieving high grades in their GCSE Biology class. As students achieve these smaller goals, they will be able to see their progress and hard work pay-off, as well as being motivated to keep it up.
Humans respond well to routines, particularly when trying to achieve a specific goal. For GCSE students, this may be the first time their work will have a significant impact on their future, which is why creating and sticking to a regular routine at this stage is vital. As a parent, you are able to influence your children’s daily routine and help them by setting an example for future periods of study and work.
Encourage your child to sleep regular hours, exercise often and set aside dedicated time to study a different subject every single day. This isn’t to say students should work all the time and have no time to themselves, but rather to highlight how important having a schedule can be. If students can get into the habit early on of studying regularly, by the time the exam period comes around, revision will be a breeze as it will already be scheduled into their routine.
As mentioned above, regular studying is important but a constant emphasis on work and study can make it feel like a burden and reduce a student’s motivation. Allowing your children to take time to themselves each day, whether that be to participate in an evening class, spend time with friends or to relax at home, this time away from their studies will help to energise them and ensure they’re raring to go for the next study session.
For students studying Science at GCSE, whether that be GCSE Physics or GCSE Chemistry, single or combined Science, one of the key ways to drive motivation is by hiring an online tutor. Tutorspot offers a wide range of GCSE Science tutors who are hugely experienced in creating bespoke online lessons that inspire and motivate students every day. The dedicated 1-2-1 nature of the tuition sessions ensures that students receive excellent, focused time from their tutor – an experience that cannot always be achieved in a school classroom environment.
Working closely with their students, our tutors can quickly identify the learning techniques that your child responds well to and can build on their strengths and improve their weaknesses dramatically with each and every session. Learning their GCSE Science syllabus in this way will help them to retain the information which is vital for the exam period, as well as developing their overall understanding and their love for the subject. All of these things and more will drive students onwards and upwards, allowing them to achieve their goals and stay motivated throughout the academic year.
We carefully select our tutors to ensure the highest quality level of tuition for all our students, regardless of their age or the level they’re working at. We strive to ensure all our tutors are highly experienced in their respective fields and we work with tutors who have been and still are teachers, lecturers and working professionals, as well as some handpicked recent graduates and university students.
If you’d like to book your child in for some bespoke tuition with our online Science tutors, look no further than Tutorspot. We have created a simple three-step process to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible:
To find out more about, or if you have any questions about how our online tuition works, please contact us today on 01509 265623.
