The key message of this book is that motivation is crucial for effective learning and this develops from an understanding of the learning process. That process relates to the complete learning experience – the learner’s preferences, the expectations placed on the learner, the task, the teaching process, learning strategies, the resources and the learning environment.
The role of management and school ethos are also considered in this book as school systems can have implications for motivation and effective learning. This book is about learning and principally about helping teachers to help learners build a solid foundation for learning – a foundation that will assist in the development of motivation and effective learning and promote learner independence.
The book is not a ‘pick and mix’ collection of ideas on learning, but is about planning for learning, developing the foundations for learning and learner autonomy. The book lays the foundations for lifelong learning. The foundations of learning, the learning plans, the emotional and cognitive factors and how learning is presented and assessed, as well as the fundamental issue of motivation, are all crucial elements of this book.