Plain English Meaning
The reason someone wants to do something, and the drive that keeps them working at it even when it gets hard.
Full Definition
The internal force or set of reasons that drive a person to begin, continue, and complete a task or course of action. In flight training, motivation is the primary factor that determines whether a student persists through difficulty and successfully completes training.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor discussions about how students behave, learn, practice, and continue through training.
Derivation
From the Latin 'movere' meaning 'to move.' Motivation is literally what moves a person to act. Useful here because it captures that motivation is not just a feeling — it is the thing that produces actual movement toward a goal.
Why Pilots Care
A student without motivation is far more likely to drop before completing training or to inconsistently in the .