10 tips on Engaging Reluctant Learners

Working with a child who is curious about the world, eager to explore unfamiliar subjects, or ready to develop new skills is every educator’s dream. The image of a young student happily focused on a favorite book or eagerly asking a question conveys the idea that children love to learn. Unfortunately, this eagerness to learn does not apply to all children. For various reasons, some students are hesitant to learn, and in the era of the online classroom, engaging the reluctant learner may be an even greater challenge. Ignoring this challenge would be a mistake. Understanding the reasons for a student’s reluctance to learn and finding ways to overcome this reluctance are crucial. 

Why are some students reluctant to learn? 

Just as students may be eager to learn for many reasons, resistance to learning may also be the result of various causes. 

Some of these may be the students’ image of themselves. Reluctant learners may lack self-confidence, certain that they are unable to learn. Any negative comments about this shortcoming reinforces this feeling of inadequacy. Students may also fear what they do not know, taking comfort in the familiar and hesitate to explore topics that may be more difficult to comprehend. 

Reluctance to learn can also be related to the material students are asked to absorb. Students may have difficulty grasping ideas through discussion, for example, or see no connection between a class activity and the content they are facing. In some cases, the material can be too difficult for the student to understand or presented too quickly for the student to absorb. Some students who say the material is boring or uninteresting may be voicing a frustration with this material while also revealing why they are reluctant learners. Of course, some students may truly find the material not challenging enough, and this, too, could cause their reluctance to engage in the learning process.

There can certainly be other explanations for a reluctance to learn. A student may simply not care for the class or the instructor. Research has shown that differences in attitudes toward education of a student’s community and an educational institution can also lead to resistance to learning. What then can be done to engage these reluctant students to become more engaged in their learning? 

Tips for engaging reluctant learners 

As teachers and tutors become familiar with their students, they are likely to devise ways to encourage all students to learn. For reluctant learners, this may mean thinking of other ways to encourage them. While not all methods will work for all reluctant learners, the following are a few tips that have been effective. 

1. Find ways to connect with the student 

Students may not be engaged in a lesson, but they have other interests. Identifying these interests and connecting them to the day’s lesson can connect the educator to students and help students see the teacher as someone who cares about them. 

2. Think about the best way to present a lesson 

Teachers may decide to present a lesson in a way they think appropriate, such as a lecture, but some students may find it difficult to take notes. This can lead to frustration and a reluctance to learn. Presenting the lesson in another way may be the solution. 

3. When possible, give the student choices

Some students may see learning as a process over which they have no control. This is understandable but can also result in a student's resistance to learning. Allowing a student to choose a topic to write about or make similar decisions could spark a greater desire to learn. 

4. Try different techniques to engage students 

Teachers are constantly trying creative ways to enliven classroom learning. They may place students in groups, change the classroom setting, or vary the way they present a lesson. Tutors who work with a single reluctant learner can also look for different options. 

5. Show your love for learning 

This enthusiasm can serve as a model for the reluctant learner. Understanding that learning includes making mistakes can also be helpful for the student to witness. 

6. Focus on activities that will help the student develop a skill or master a concept 

This is certainly true in an online environment, where a student only sees classmates and the instructor virtually, but the need to focus on purposeful activities is important in any educational setting. The reluctant learner is likely to be even more resistant to learning if assigned tasks that do not appear linked to some learning objective. 

7. Let the student know the purpose of assignments

Once they have identified tasks that meet designated learning goals, educators should share this information with students. Students should know why they are being asked to do tasks they may consider meaningless. What students learn must, after all, have some clear purpose. 

8. Give the student time to think 

Teaching is more than presenting content and expecting students to absorb it. Involve students in the process by asking them what was difficult about the material. This may help students see the importance of what they were asked to learn. 

9. Explore the power of games 

For students who think school is boring or simply not fun, games can provide an effective method to teach a skill. The principal of game-based learning is the student’s development of a skill through repetition and setbacks that eventually result in reaching defined goals. Providing reluctant learners the chance to acquire knowledge through this process could certainly be effective. 

10. Celebrate achievements 

Finally, recognize what the reluctant learner has done. The focus should not be on test scores or grades but on any progress the student has made. Any step forward is an achievement, and the student should be duly recognized for it. 

How to Get Involved

Not all students are engaged in learning, but motivating this engagement is important. To succeed in and out of school, students need to develop the confidence, creativity, and strong thinking skills that come with learning. Would you like to help students who show a reluctance to learn? Perhaps you were once a reluctant student yourself and can understand the plight of other reluctant learners. If so, consider reaching out to these students by volunteering as a tutor. Only two hours a week are required, and you can make an important difference.