Before the advent of the public education system, student motivation was not a big concern for educators.  In order to learn, students actually had to seek out their education in the form of tutoring or apprenticeship.  Logically, any student who would take the time and effort to do so already had a great deal of motivation to learn their chosen subject.  As modern policy makers introduced compulsory education as well as a predetermined mandatory curriculum, student’s motivation became one of the most critical issues facing modern educators.  Whereas before, students chose when and what they learned, the modern education system forces kids to learn about subjects toward which they may have no natural inclination. Continue reading →