I’m writing a guide for teachers about using the principles of behavioural psychology to increase students’ motivation to learn, and to encourage positive behaviour. I’ve been drafting with a structure based on the Behavioural Insights Team’s EAST framework: if you want to encourage a behaviour, make it Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely. EAST seemed the natural framework to use: it’s the one I’d found most memorable and which teachers and colleagues had found useful.
Nonetheless, the EAST framework had disadvantages. The structure of the book felt circular and unconvincing at times, as I repeated myself, or found ideas which belonged together artificially separated. For example, implementation intentions – identifying when and where to act – are a ‘Timely’ influence, but they can be strengthened by making commitments (a ‘Social’ influence). Likewise, we can encourage an action by emphasising its value, but our approach will be more effective if we time our request carefully. The EAST structure is a useful memory aid, but it seemed increasingly counter-intuitive, and less help to teachers than I’d hoped.
And so, a new framework. As I neared the end of the first draft, I’d come up with two or three ways around this, but they were unwieldy. Yesterday, I had a brainwave: I ditched the EAST structure and reorganised the principles in a new framework, shown below. This feels more logical, and replicates the approach which seemed to work in Responsive Teaching, by organising the ideas around endemic problems teachers face. The questions are below, alongside the principles answering each question. I hope the ideas below seem useful: I’d welcome feedback on how clear and usable this seems, anything that’s missing, and ways to improve it.
- What changes should we prioritise for students?
- Formulate a fertile habit
- How can we convince students to act?
- Pick your moment
- Frame carefully
- Make it seem like a good idea at the time
- Create a need
- Personalise
- Highlight role models and social norms
- How can we help students commit to action?
- Elicit commitments
- Set prompts
- Build connections and identity
- How can we help students make a start?
- How can we help students keep going?
If you’re interested, you can learn more by:
Learning more about the guide I’m writing, here.
Sharing a problem or dilemma, and getting advice about how you can address it, here.
Reading my explanation why I’m writing the guide.