External motivators will have little effect unless students are ready to?

The correct answer is that external motivators will have little effect unless students are ready to accept them. This highlights the importance of a student's willingness to embrace the motivation being presented. If students do not accept external motivators, such as rewards, praise, or encouragement from their instructors, these incentives are unlikely to influence their behavior or engagement positively.

Acceptance involves recognizing the value of the motivators and being open to how they can contribute to the learning process. For example, a student who acknowledges the significance of praise from a teacher may feel encouraged to participate more actively or put in extra effort, while a student who is resistant to this praise may remain disengaged, regardless of the external motivators provided.

In contrast, other options like actively participating, evaluating themselves, or following instructions reflect actions students take but do not capture the readiness to accept motivation as a prerequisite for those actions to be meaningful or impactful. Without acceptance, any form of encouragement or external motivation falls flat and ultimately fails to enhance student engagement or learning outcomes.