Emphasize the Value of Learning¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 3 studies (1 quant-synthesis, 1 review, 1 theoretical), q1–q4 · 1 of 3 report an effect size

Description¶

This strategy shifts learners' attention from performance outcomes (grades, rankings) toward the intrinsic value and purpose of what they are learning. It is carried out by explicitly connecting tasks to learners' lives and goals, giving feedback framed around growth rather than judgment, and designing activities whose value is self-evident. Without this emphasis, learners tend to base self-perceptions of intelligence and worth on grades received, promoting a fixed mindset.

Design Implications¶

Emphasizing value works because motivation depends on learners both expecting success and seeing the task as worth doing; utility-value interventions that prompt learners to connect material to their own lives reliably increase interest and engagement, especially for students with low initial expectations of success Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009 [+S]. The strategy aligns with expectancy-value theory: value and expectancy are separable levers, and value is often the neglected one in grade-driven classrooms. It also supports autonomy, which sustains intrinsic motivation better than external rewards Autonomy supports intrinsic motivation. [+S].

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Instructors who communicate why a task matters before assigning it, not only what it requires (State Objectives framed in terms of learner benefit)
• Feedback that focuses on growth, strategy, and improvement rather than verdicts on ability (Assessment for Learning)
• Opportunities for learners to reflect on their own progress and articulate what they now understand or can do (Individual Reflection)
• Learning activities that are genuinely meaningful — value messaging cannot compensate for tasks learners perceive as busywork

Constraints¶

• Grade-oriented learners may discount value messaging while grades remain the salient currency; if assessment practices still reward only performance, the emphasis reads as rhetoric [-M]
• Overly enthusiastic value statements from an instructor can backfire: imposed value is less effective than learner-generated value, so learners should write their own connections [-M]
• For learners with strong performance-avoidance goals, value emphasis alone does not resolve fear of failure; it must be paired with Check-Ins and safe-to-fail practice
• Effects of brief value interventions fade without reinforcement across a course [~W]

Implementation Variability¶

• Utility-value writing: learners explain how course material relates to their own lives (strongest evidence base) [+S]
• Instructor-provided relevance statements: cheaper to implement, weaker effects than learner-generated connections [~M]
• Mastery-oriented grading: standards-based or Competency-Based Assessment systems that decouple feedback from a single high-stakes grade
• Portfolio and reflection structures that make growth visible over time

Target Learners¶

• Grade-oriented learners who equate grades with intelligence and avoid challenge to protect their standing
• Students with low expectations of success, for whom utility-value interventions show the largest gains [+S]
• Less effective for learners already high in intrinsic interest, who may find relevance prompts redundant [~W]

Target Learning Goals¶

• Motivational: shifting from performance goals to mastery goals
• Metacognitive: learners monitoring their own growth rather than their rank
• Long-term retention and transfer, which benefit from deeper, interest-driven engagement [+M]

Instructions¶

1. Frame each task with its purpose: state what learners will be able to do and why it matters, using State Objectives in learner-relevant terms
2. Have learners generate their own connections — a short writing prompt asking how the material relates to their life or goals Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009 [+S]
3. Deliver feedback in growth terms: name the strategy that improved the work and the next step, per Assessment for Learning
4. Build in structured reflection (Individual Reflection) where learners compare their current work to earlier work and articulate improvement
5. Align grading with the message: use revision, mastery-based scoring, or Formative Assessment so grades reward learning, not just performance

Related Strategies¶

• Activating Prior Knowledge — connecting new material to existing knowledge also builds perceived relevance
• Check-Ins — ongoing monitoring of learner motivation and self-perception
• Nurture the perceived value of creativity through joyful practice, task relevance, varied tasks, and enthusiastic teacher modeling
• Align reward with focus support and with SEVT value facets when designing instruction
• Teachers explicitly communicate the relevance, importance, and utility of science alongside curriculum content

Examples¶

• Utility-value essays in science courses — Hulleman & Harackiewicz (2009) had high school science students write briefly about how course topics related to their lives; students with low success expectations showed higher interest and better grades [+S]
• Standards-based grading (e.g., in K-12 math reform) — replacing single-letter grades with mastery levels per skill, so feedback communicates what is learned rather than a rank
• Portfolio assessment in writing programs — learners select and reflect on drafts over a term, making growth the visible object of evaluation

Key Sources¶

• Hulleman, C. S., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2009). Promoting interest and performance in high school science classes. Science, 326(5958), 1410–1412. doi:10.1126/science.1177067
• Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302–314. doi:10.1080/00461520.2012.722805
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
• Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 109–132. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153