Learning Strategy and Motivation Training
Learning Strategy Training (LST) addresses Achievement Motivation Disorders in adolescents from ages 14 to 20. The primary goal of this intervention is to facilitate a process of change from a predominantly negative attitude towards academic learning to more positive and optimistic attitudes. This is mainly achieved during a process that guides the student into formulating and developing realistic and achievable long term goals (what do I want to achieve within the next 10 years?), intermediate goals (what professional, occupation or educational qualifications do I need to achieve within the next 2 to 5 years in order to eventually achieve my long term goal(s)?) and short term goals (what must I do today, to make the necessary steps to achieve my intermediate, then my long term goals?). These goals must be personally meaningful and relevant enough to the student to ensure steady progress from one step to the next on the way to fulfilment.
This intervention is specifically designed to help adolescent students who are failing to realize their intellectual and creative potential and are at high risk of becoming “underachievers” or who already are “underachievers”. Underachieving students tend to become underachieving adults in later life. Such individuals frequently end up in occupations and life circumstances that under-challenge their intellectual and/or creative capacities or don’t make a good match with their true interests and abilities. This may lead to dissatisfaction with “life” as such and often enough to resignation or even despair. LST aims at preventing such a fate. It aims at guiding the “underachieving” student to develop an optimal “match” between his or her present and future interests and abilities and to systematically work on acquiring, improving and/or developing the necessary skills and knowledge necessary to realise their long term goal(s) in later life so that that they are able to experience challenging, rewarding and satisfying profession or occupation lives.