GRASP
The role of motivation in HDR success
December 17th, 2025, by
I recently attended a presentation that highlighted the important role motivation, persistence and resilience play in HDR success, and it got me thinking more about these concepts. This blog post focuses specifically on motivation, and draws on ideas from The Education Hub (a New Zealand site that shares research-based tips for teachers and learners). Keep your eye out for future posts on the topics of persistence and resilience in the new year too though!
Motivation theories
In simple terms, motivation can be defined as the need or reason for doing something. There is more to it than that, however, and in fact researchers have developed a range of theories to explain how and why we’re motivated. One of the most well known theories distinguishes between intrinsic motivation (doing something because you enjoy it) and extrinsic motivation (doing something for an external reward or consequence). While intrinsic motivation is very satisfying, extrinsic motivation can also play an important and constructive role, particularly when it is grounded in personally meaningful goals. For example, even if you don’t enjoy every aspect of your research, you may still be motivated to complete challenging tasks that contribute to your longer-term research aspirations. Research also suggests that extrinsic motivation can sometimes evolve into intrinsic motivation, as engagement with a task can increase interest and enjoyment.
In addition, several other theories offer complementary perspectives on motivation. Achievement Goal Theory, for example, focuses on the goals that drive our behaviour. It distinguishes between performance goals (those motivated by a desire to demonstrate competence relative to others) and mastery goals (those motivated by a desire to master a skill), with the latter often connected to intrinsic motivation. Expectancy Value Theory, on the other hand, highlights that motivation depends on both the value we place on a task and our confidence in our ability to succeed – with previous success at similar tasks likely to boost motivation and past difficulties tending to reduce it. Finally, Flow Theory describes the deep engagement and enjoyment that can occur when a task is challenging but matches a person’s skills. This state is closely related to intrinsic motivation, and is sometimes reported by HDR students during their thesis writing.
The importance of motivation
Motivation plays a central role in learning and research, as it influences both how long you persist with a task and how deeply you engage with it. Intrinsic motivation, in particular, supports critical thinking and creativity, as genuine curiosity drives you to explore and question ideas. Furthermore, it can help you to recover more effectively from any setbacks or criticism, as it is closely linked with a sense of agency – that is, the purpose and autonomy that allows you to pursue your goals.
Ways to increase motivation
While motivation is clearly important, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain. If you do struggle with this, you might find the following tips helpful:
- Practise a growth mindset by seeing challenges and difficulties as opportunities to learn rather than failures.
- Gradually build your confidence through achievable tasks that stretch your skills (“just-right” tasks).
- Set mastery-oriented, optimally challenging goals to stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
- Create a focused, quiet workspace that supports deep engagement.
- Try to normalise struggles and view them as a natural part of the research process.
- Seek feedback that keeps you motivated and on track – from your supervisor, peers or others.
Sources used
Many of these ideas are from a resource prepared by Claire Chuter for The Education Hub, called The role of motivation in learning.
I have also incorporated some of the ideas from the paper How doctoral students and graduates describe facilitating experiences and strategies for their thesis writing learning process: a qualitative approach.
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Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash