10 Strategies for Motivating Students in Mathematics

One of the common challenges that math teachers face in the early stages of their teaching career is motivating students in math. As a highly practical subject, math has a fair share of students who like and dislike the subject equally.

As a math teacher, you might also find students who might need that extra motivation to get them started. Well, whether you’re wondering how you can begin to motivate students in math or want to know more teaching strategies, we’ve got you covered! 

Why Do Students Have To Be Motivated To Study Math? 

You might now ask us why students need to be motivated?

For a subject like math, what are the things that go into encouraging students while studying math?

Before we understand how you can get started on motivating students in math, let us first understand the different kinds of motivation. 

  • Extrinsic Motivation – The word ‘extrinsic’ means outside or outward. It simply refers to motivation that comes through sources outside the learner’s purview (i.e., the student). It can refer to rewards, gifts, and student performance appreciation. 
  • Intrinsic Motivation – Contrary to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation refers to the factors that motivate students from the environment under their control. Many students might have a desire to perform better than their peers. A few students may have quick grasping power, while the rest may be interested in bettering themselves with a particular concept or a subject. Hence, intrinsic motivation refers to all the factors that lead to motivation inside the student’s control. 

Now that we have understood intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, we will move forward toward highlighting strategies that work best for the learner.

What Are Some Effective Strategies To Use For Motivating Students In Math? 

100+ Free Math Worksheets, Practice Tests & Quizzes

Instilling Growth Mindset 

One of the most effective strategies to use for motivating students in math is to teach them that they can get better at math gradually. Most students often believe that they can never perform well in mathematics, so they find it difficult, monotonous, and boring to study math. 

As a teacher, you can break their attitude towards math by teaching them that they can perform better and become successful upon practice. When you teach your students that their learning curve will depend solely on how they practice problems, they will eventually come around and start liking the subject. 

However, you should also remember to help your students celebrate their success and keep trying with a positive attitude towards the subject. 

Create A Flexible Class Structure 

We often find ourselves speaking about the importance of studying math. Math helps in promoting an effective way of thinking and learning. However, math as a subject is very different from one learner to the other. There is no model in the subject that all learners will understand in the same way. 

The digital co-teacher made with ❤️ by teachers

ByteLearn saves you time and ensures every student gets the support they need

Therefore, an effective technique to help motivate students in math is to create a flexible class structure inside your classroom. Most teachers use the method of rotations and transitions in their classrooms. A few other math teachers also use the grouping method to ensure that there is collaborative learning amongst students. In this way, the students are engaged in learning the subject more flexibly. 

Create Classroom Goals 

Another great yet effective strategy for motivating students in math is to set goals. Setting goals is a great way to track every student’s progress and continually improve their academic performance. In addition to overall performance, when goals are set inside a classroom, students tend to be more active and focused in class. 

Several middle school math teachers, who use ByteLearn to set up assignments for their students, often state that they break their goals into smaller chunks. In this way, they are able to track the assignments and find the top areas of improvement for all students. Additionally, you can get insights into the performance of your class and frame strategies to help them achieve better. 

Make Way For Curiosity 

A recent study revealed that over 66% of the respondents stated that students who perform well in math usually ask for clarification during class. It is essential to ensure that there must be a sense of curiosity instilled by the teachers. When students question inside the classroom, there are higher chances that it will make them understand math concepts better and increase achievement rates. 

Help Overcome Fear 

Math and the fear of math are highly synonymous amongst students. Several students fear the subject and often find it challenging to perform well because of their inherent fears. One effective way to get started with motivating students in math is to help them approach the subject without any fear. 

As a part of various teaching math strategies, teachers can get started by creating a positive learning environment.

Using Technology In Classrooms 

For most students, technology acts as a great tool that induces students to learn math. Thanks to the growth of technology, there are multiple ways in which you can make use of technology inside your classroom. One way to make sure that the learners are involved in your math class is to start using ByteLearn. 

ByteLearn is a math digital teaching assistant that lets teachers and learners learn math in a fun and interactive way. ByteLearn is a personalized one-to-one teaching assistant that helps teachers set up their classrooms and create mock assignments for their classes. 

In addition to that, teachers can also make creative quizzes, bell ringers, exit tickets, and so much more. ByteLearn helps in saving your time and makes classroom teaching more engaging.

Induce Friendly Competition 

When asked a few math teachers, they said that one of the main strategies they use to motivate students in math is to create informal competitions inside the classroom. When there’s a competition set up in the class, students often compete with each other and find themselves outperforming each other. 

With competition in place, students not only have an opportunity to learn and grow, but they also tend to achieve more than the others. Students also tend to learn concepts in a logical manner and follow a sequential pattern of learning.

Create a Cohesive Learning Environment 

This is not exactly a strategy, but definitely a duty of every teacher. One way to make students more engrossed in learning a particular subject is to give them a cohesive learning environment. Apart from just teaching the subject, you can move above and beyond by bringing in elements of creativity, thinking, and curiosity inside the classroom. 

You can pose small challenges to students, which they can perform either individually or in groups. You can also go the extra mile and give step-by-step tutoring for those students who really need it with the help of ByteLearn. To know more about the importance of creating a cohesive learning environment, read Building Cohesion and Empathy in the Classroom.’ 

Have One-To-One Interactions 

One great way to start motivating students in math is to start having one-to-one interactions with your students. A study conducted by Frymier and Houser (2000) states that a teacher-student relationship plays an instrumental role in building a liking of the subject. A teacher plays a dual role in the classroom, and a teacher has both casual and relational (oriented towards the subject) roles inside the classroom. 

When a teacher starts having one-to-one sessions with their students, it can add to increasing the overall student engagement. It also helps the teacher to understand the pulse of every student and better their process of creating math lesson plans or even looking for the best teaching math strategies. These interactions are conducted in a consistent manner and can also lead to the student developing a liking for the subject. 

Be Present, Always! 

The last yet most effective teaching strategy for motivating students in math is to be present. As a teacher, you play a very influential role in the lives of your students. Some students might require your guidance and support more than others. Most students might need help at every step, and that is entirely okay.

There are several ways in which you can help by being there for your students. You can walk around in class while they are working on their assignments. You can even pick activities related to different concepts and perform them during the course. Lastly, maintain a positive attitude and serve your students with care.

Takeaway 

Now that we have listed a few effective strategies to get started on motivating students in math, there are many effective techniques out there. However, the underlying factor for making all these strategies work for your classroom is understanding the motives of every learner.


As a teacher, you can understand their motives and ensure that they are engaged efficiently and effectively. While understanding and working on their motives, you must be careful that their interests aren’t affected in a negative way, as this can lead to the development of fear and anxiety towards the subject.

As the new academic year unfolds in a couple of weeks, you can use the strategies mentioned earlier and start motivating students in math and make teaching more engaging. Get started with ByteLearn today!

Free, standards-aligned math worksheets

Enter your email and we’ll send you samples of our most popular math worksheets.

2 thoughts on “10 Strategies for Motivating Students in Mathematics”

  1. Pingback: 65+ Brilliant Math Quotes Every Teacher Needs to Read

  2. Pingback: How to Improve Math Skills of Your Students' Quickly in 2023

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top