As an educator and school founder, I’ve been fascinated with the concept of self-determination theory and the power of intrinsic motivation (Kennedy, M., Barrera, E., Feb, 4, 2016, Segar, M. L., & Richardson, C. R., 2014). What motivates students to show up to class and pay attention? I created a structure at my school, Pacem School and Homeschool Center, in which all classes were optional. Once committed to the class after the first two weeks students had to attend for the semester. The result was consistent attendance and engaged students, which for this age group of middle and high school students, can often be a challenge. The only times when students were not engaged was when their parents had persuaded them to take a class. As director, I knew this dialogue well and tried to dissuade parents from pushing classes on their children.
It is not surprising that physical activity is much the same. Dr. Michelle Segar, PhD, MAPS approach (Meaning, Awareness, Permission, Strategy) approach encourages sustainably intrinsic motivation, i.e., a program which lasts (Segar, M., Feb 2, 2016, Segar, M. 2015). Once people discover body and mind benefits from physical activity it is a very strong motivator to continue. But for the program to stick, people need to feel they are in control and come up with a reason (or "why") for doing it that is personally meaningful. As she says in her book, No Sweat, “The right whys are relevant to our daily lives and personally meaningful” (Segar, M., 2015). With the right why, competence, relatedness and autonomy can follow and re-inspire (Kennedy, M., Barrera, E., Feb, 4, 2016). Once the student or client digs into the work and has connected to the meaning and purpose of the work, in increments and with time they can be competent.
The most successful week of the entire year at Pacem was the Mountain and Service Retreat when students signed up to climb two of Vermont’s tallest mountains and on the remaining three days, serve as volunteers for outdoor projects such as building puncheons for the Nature Conservancy or creating vegetable gardens for a home for transients. Students wanted to be outdoors and with their friends (the why), found meaning and purpose in the work (relatedness), could hike at their speed and had a voice in how to proceed with the volunteer task (autonomy) and completed big volunteer projects that visibly made a difference (competence or mastery.) At the end of the week, students often passionately voiced that they didn’t want the experience to end.
Kennedy, M., Barrera, E. (Feb, 4, 2016). Section for The Science of Physical Activity. Personal Collection of M. Ewing, E. Barrera. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Segar, M. L., & Richardson, C. R. (2014). Prescribing pleasure and meaning. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(6), 838-841.
Segar, M. (2015). No sweat: How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness. New York City, NY: AMACOM.
Segar, M. (Feb 2, 2016), Lecture for The Science of Physical Activity. Personal Collection of M. Segar. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
