The article discusses how (in what ways) natural science educations teachers motivate students with special educational needs in order to encourage students’ motivation to learn. Researches reveal that students with learning needs have experienced a variety of learning difficulties, which often causes the loss of their learning motivation and even willingness to attend school. In nowadays school, which aim is to ensure proper education for each pupil, the teacher has to pay special attention to developing pupils’ learning motivation. The article presents a study aimed at finding out how to effectively educate children with special educational needs in general education schools. In the survey participated 146 teachers of nature study, who have experience in working with students with special educational needs. The results of the study revealed that teachers rely on the provisions of the Teachers’ Ethics Code to encourage students to work independently and persistently. This is a very new insight, as the Teachers’ Ethics Code was approved only on 11 June 2018 by order No. V-561 of the Minister of Education and Science. From the teachers’ point of view, for students with special educational needs to increase learning motivation teachers use interesting innovation teaching methods, practical work, use of ICT, creation of educational environments, oral and written honors, gratitude. Also, they use fair evaluation, better marks for progress, even if it is small, adopted tasks, create the conditions for success, pursuit to raise interest, attention, encouragement, communication, cooperation.

The article considers the possibilities of motivation education for pupils with special educational needs while studying the subject of natural cognition. As the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania states, the majority of pupils with special educational needs are educated at general education schools together with their peers through inclusive education. STEM method is best suited for pupils with special educational needs due to the integration of the pupils in the curriculum with the whole class, allowing them to choose tasks. In order to highlight how to strengthen the learning motivation of pupils with special educational needs, qualitative research is chosen. During the qualitative research, a structured interview is conducted, the data of which is processed by the content analysis method. The study included 7 pupils with special educational needs. Interviewed pupils indicate, that their learning motivation is influenced by good relationships a pupil – a pupil, a teacher – a pupils, a parent – a pupil; possibilities to work in a group; variety of learning environment (e.g. outdoor class); discussion of successes and failures, highlighting progress.