Bondgården - en motivationsfrämjande undervisningsarena : En fallstudie om hur högstadieelevers motivation påverkas av att flytta skolundervisningen till en bondgård

This is a case study in a Norwegian junior high school where pupils and teachers have been interviewed about the pupils’ school motivation. The purpose of this study is to find out how the pupils and the teachers experience how the pupils’ motivation for learning is affected by moving the education and teaching from the school building to a farm nearby. The recorded interviews were analyzed by qualitative thematic analysis. The pupils express that their motivation mostly is promoted by external motivational factors, such as the farm itself, supportive relations and practical work. Teachers’ experience show that pupils’ motivation is affected by both external and internal factors and they mean that the biggest outcome is the fact that it helps the pupils strengthen their school identity, personal development and become better citizens in the future. Important effects that promote motivation are adapting the education to the students’ proximal development zone, scaffolding support at the farm and close holistic collaboration around the pupils. Challenges with using a farm are financial and organizational. The results show that pupils and teachers are over all convinced that the farm as an alternative educational arena promotes pupils’ motivation for learning