There are many factors that influence learning success. Anything ranging from external rewards, personal goals and interests, or a change in the school environment. One of these factors includes the ability to use what you have learned and apply it to real-life situations. Regardless of the circumstances, if someone applies themselves and has a strong motivation to learn, they can achieve anything. But what other factors keep someone focused and determined? Looking at students specifically, is peer pressure possible or does parental influence impact a student's ability to learn? What about personal attributes, gains or losses? Can a student find the drive within themselves to achieve their academic goals or do they rely on the influence of others? “Motivation occurs at every point in the learning and achievement process” (Lin-Siegler, Dweck, & Cohen, 2016, p. 295). There are different types of motivation that come into play when it comes to motivation and learning, such as intrinsic motivation – an internal or internally controlled source, extrinsic motivation – an external source, autonomous motivation, and autonomy support in the classroom – support from teachers or assistants. While teachers are there to assist students on their journey, they may not be able to control all aspects of motivation, but they can help students develop motivation and drive to learn new things. Along with this come the obstacles a student goes through, such as transitioning from one grade level to the next. This article will explore the importance of motivation and interest by discussing the different factors that influence the success of how a student learns within the classroom. Other factors will also be covered, such as transitions during different school periods, as well as family and peer influences. Personal attributions or goals will also be explored. This document closes with some ways to help stay motivated to learn, whether it's helping yourself or assisting another person. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to Dasakalovska, Gudeva, and Ivanovska (2012) motivation is one, if not the most important factor influencing learning success. They believe that it is unclear to define motivation and whether it leads to successful learning or, in some cases, the opposite, whether successful learning leads to motivation. Dasakalovska, Gudeva, and Ivanovska (2012) defined motivation as “an internal drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that drives a person to perform a particular action” (Dasakalovska, Gudeva, & Ivanovska, 2012, p. 1187) . Anyone who is motivated is a person who wants to achieve a goal and is willing to invest time or whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Everyone has a need or something that drives them, but the environment around them also plays a role. Dasakalovska, Gudeva, and Ivanovska (2012) listed several characteristics that are important factors for motivation. The first characteristic is positive task orientation. This is when the person is willing to face challenges and is confident in their success in getting the job done. The second characteristic is ego involvement. Ego involvement occurs when the person discovers that it is important to succeed so that they can maintain a positive image. The third characteristic is the need to achieve results; a person must havethe desire to achieve and overcome the challenges of what he wishes to accomplish. With this comes the fourth and fifth: high aspirations and goal orientation which is similar to positive task orientation when it comes to facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, but also makes the person aware of their goal and directs their energy towards its achievement. Perseverance and tolerance of ambiguity complete the list of characteristics of a person who is consistent and leaves nothing undone in their way, even if there are obstacles along the way. They also learn to be patient and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, all obstacles have great returns. Dasakalovska, Gudeva, and Ivanovska (2012) also stated that there is a relationship between extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. “External motivation is the influence of some kind of external incentives such as money, rewards, grades, and the desire to please parents and peer influences” (Dasakalovska, Gudeva, & Ivanovska, 2012, p. 1189). While intrinsic motivation “derives from students and their attitudes towards their learning goals and objectives, their emotions, their ambitions, and so on”. Intrinsic motivation oriented activities don't really have a physical reward or incentive, it leans more towards the person engaging in the activity because it makes them feel better about themselves personally, which can be a reward in itself. That said, can others have an influence on these types of motivation? Research by Jang (2008) supported this concept by conducting a study that explains how students bring their own influential characteristics into a school environment, but the characteristics found within a learning environment also influence their motivational states, such as their interest and involvement in what is presented. Voke (2002) states that younger children learn naturally when there is no external pressure or need for improvement, they are just trying to make sense of the world around them. As students move from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school, things like their workload and the need to do better become greater, and as a result their stress increases. “Students' academic motivation steadily declines following this transition, as the predominantly intrinsically motivated orientation of children gives way to the more extrinsically motivated orientation of adolescents” (Jang, 2008, p. 798). Research by Allen and Robbins (2010) stated that students who graduate within a certain period, or within the expected time to graduate, are more likely to reap long-term benefits, but unfortunately, few students in the United States are achieving the desired results. degrees within the allotted time period. They further stated that in order for students to improve their time to graduation, they must first understand what prevents students from achieving that goal (Allen & Robbins, 2010). They suggested that students would perform better academically if they chose the environment that aligned with their interests. Another study by Dotterer, McHale, and Crouter (2009) supported this study by studying changes in adolescents' academic orientations during their high school years by measuring their interest. The results indicated that although students began high school with a decent level of academic orientation, their orientation still declined over the course of their school years. Many students have difficulty transitioning from middle school to high school; some examples are: the change ofschool context, their roles as students and as peers in their environment. Students move from elementary school, which is more personalized and cohesive, to middle and high school, which can be considered neutral and detached. Regarding their roles as students and peers, teachers' expectations change and increase during these transitions, as do peers' expectations. During this time, especially during middle school, students go through puberty, so the need to find themselves is at a higher level, so their concentration is deterred and grades begin to decline. Studies by Dotterer, Mchale, and Crouter (2009) showed that, although there were no gender differences in the level of academic interests, at age 13, female students appeared to be more interested in their studies than male students . At age 18, both males and females showed a recovery of interest in academic studies, but female students were still slightly higher than male students. Dotterer, McHale, and Crouter (2009) also included the idea that parents play a role in motivation, interest, and academic performance. In their study, they examined the extent to which mothers' and fathers' interest in academics predicted their students' level of interest from middle childhood through adolescence and how this positively impacted the student. “Parents' socialization practices and their educational attainment are important to youth motivation and academic success” (Dotterer, McHale, & Crouter, 2009, p. 511). They found that when a mother had high expectations for her child, the student had higher levels of academic interests. Consistent with their hypothesis, the father's educational level had an impact on the student. If the father had a high level of education, the student's academic interest showed lower levels of decline. “We found that father's education level and mother's education expectations were important predictors of adolescents' interest in academics.” (Dotterer, McHale, & Crouter, 2009, p. 517). The roles that a mother and father play within the family can have different effects on a student's academic interest. Voke (2002) argued that a child's home environment shapes the attitudes he or she may develop toward academic interests and learning, as well as his or her views of competence and commitment. Many parents are aware of the challenges students face as they transition from elementary school to middle school, high school, or even college, but some may not be aware of the ways they can help their children through this difficult experience, which included own interest in their children. the academic success of the child. In class, students usually show different attitudes than when they are at home. They may appear cooperative and open-minded, while others may appear passive and reluctant. Voke (2002) stated that student engagement is about being motivated to learn, having a good understanding of learning, and rather than doing things for the approval of others. “Engaged students experience greater satisfaction with their school experiences, which in turn can lead to higher student completion and attendance rates, as well as a lower incidence of acting out” (Voke, 2002). Nunez and Leon's (2015) research focuses on autonomy support within the classroom and how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation come into play. Nunez and Leon (2015) stated that intrinsic motivation is characterized bysatisfaction, pleasure and interest in carrying out an activity while extrinsic motivation shows low levels of satisfaction and involves adopting behaviors due to external reinforcement. They also defined autonomous motivation as voluntary engagement in the learning process, in this case on the part of the student. “Autonomy is not the same as independence because a person can be voluntarily dependent on or forced to rely on or depend on others” (Nunez & Leon, 2015, p. 276). They argued that people with low autonomy had a lower level of personal choice and initiative, causing their behavior to respond to peer pressure or their own internal expectations. Nunez and Leon (2015) found that students would only be intrinsically motivated in an activity if they found it interesting, or even challenging for them, but many schools lack these conditions. In this case it is important that teachers and schools know how to motivate students. An important aspect that teachers should take into account is the importance of supporting students' autonomy. It allows them to feel a form of independence and also slows them down into feeling that their ideas and their lives matter. Students are not pressured to feel or act a certain way, but are instead encouraged to be themselves. Another important aspect that teachers should follow is the importance of building rapport with students and ensuring clear communication about why certain lessons or activities might have personal utility as well as acknowledgment of negative feelings or tensions. Nunez and Leon (2015) listed three basic psychological needs that, if supported by the environment, will have a positive effect and are essential for personal growth and social development. The first is autonomy and “the need for autonomy refers to the experience of psychological will and freedom and is determined by the level of external pressure while performing an action” (Nunez & Leon, 2015, p. 277 ). The second is the need for competence which suggests that people want to interact effectively with others in their environment. And the third is the need for relatedness which refers to the need or desire to feel connected to others. These psychological needs can help predict whether or not the social environment will encourage autonomous behavior. Bursztyn and Jensen (2015) stated that “adolescence is believed to be the period of greatest vulnerability to peer pressure, during which the desire to be popular or fit in is felt most acutely” (Bursztyn & Jensen , 2015, p. 2). People need to feel safe with others and connected so they can feel a sense of belonging and respect. Teens in particular are in the age range where they are discovering who they are or who they should be on a personal and professional level, so they are more vulnerable to peer pressure. One developmental task students face is identifying and strengthening their interests as they choose their path. Research by Harachiewicz, Durik, Barron, Linnenbrink-Garcia, and Tauer (2008) suggests that a student's achievements play an important role in shaping their academic motivation because they reflect on the purpose of their behavior and why they are interested. In peer groups, these outcomes or reflections on behavior can be clouded negatively or positively by the influence of their peers. Viewing the negative, focusing on your goal, or appearing intelligent may be “despised.” In a negative peer group, academic performance is not as high and the need to feel integrated.