Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that people are inclined to growth and change. The theory posits that human beings have three fundamental needs necessary for psychological growth: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2020). Autonomy refers to a sense of choice, initiative, or ownership over one’s behavior. People prefer feeling in control of their actions rather than being compelled. Secondly, competence has to do with mastery and a general sense of effectiveness. Lastly, relatedness pertains to the need to belong and feel connected with other people. The SDT can be useful in the classroom to increase student motivation and enhance learning.
SDT is one of the most prominent theories of motivation. One key assumption of this theory is that people desire development and are inherently inclined to psychological growth (Ryan & Deci, 2020). This innate desire for growth drives people’s actions and behaviors. The theory also proposes that intrinsic motivation plays a more important role than extrinsic motivation in driving growth. The former is a better source of motivation because it is associated with interest, enjoyment, and inherent satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2020). People can be drawn to participate in activities because of the nature of the activity rather than out of an expectation of rewards or fear of punishment. Overall, SDT proposes that people gravitate towards self-determination when their needs for autonomy, competence, and connection are fulfilled.
Based on the SDT premise, students learn and perform better when their psychological needs are met. Research shows that when students receive autonomous support in learning, they have higher intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and perceived confidence (Ryan & Deci, 2020). The implication of this finding is that teachers need to create an environment that supports student initiative. Educators should provide opportunities for learners to take control of or ownership of their schoolwork. For instance, this entails acknowledging students’ needs and feelings, considering their perspectives, and supporting their initiative where possible (Deci & Ryan, 2016). Studies on this topic show that autonomous-supportive environments are more favorable for learning than controlling environments (Deci & Ryan, 2016). Besides teachers, parents have a role to play in helping their children develop intrinsic motivation. When parents are autonomy supportive, their children’s school engagement becomes interest-focused. In contrast, controlling parents raise children who only care about their grades and may not necessarily be interested in school (Deci & Ryan, 2016). Overall, SDT shows that stakeholders in the education sector can best support students by extending them some degree of control over their studies.
Besides autonomy, competence and relatedness are important components of the self-determination theory. Teachers can foster student capability and connection in the classroom by providing positive, informational feedback (Deci & Ryan, 2016). Students’ intrinsic motivation increases when instructors listen and give meaningful feedback on their input. Ryan and Deci (2020) note that there are some factors that negatively impact student motivation as far as SDT is concerned. These factors include an overemphasis on grades, rigid performance goals, and high-stakes assessments. Inasmuch as these are defining features of the current education system, teachers should try to deemphasize high-pressure tests and create environments conducive to learning.
Self-determination theory is connected to other theories of motivation, such as self-efficacy, achievement goals, self-worth, and attribution theories. The self-efficacy theory suggests that people who believe in their capabilities are more likely to be motivated to perform a task (Seifert, 2004). This is related to the competence component of SDT, where motivation is increased by feelings of mastery, proficiency, or ability. Next, SDT is connected to the achievement goal theory, which posits that motivation is influenced by a person’s desire to achieve a goal. The achievement goal theory is divided into task-oriented and ego-oriented goals. Task-oriented goals motivate students to pursue knowledge and skills to do better in school, while ego-oriented goals motivate them to perform better in comparison to a benchmark (Seifert, 2004). The achievement goal theory suggests that motivation is a function of the desire to achieve goals.
The self-worth theory posits that people are motivated to perform certain activities to achieve self-acceptance. In the classroom context, academic performance can best be explained in terms of students trying to maintain a positive image of themselves. Since self-worth is intricately tied to performance, students who perform well tend to be more motivated (Seifert, 2004). Similarly, SDT proposes that competence builds confidence, which acts as motivation. Lastly, the attribution theory seeks to explain the cause of the behavior. For instance, people attribute success to effort, skills, luck, or ability. Consequently, people examine the factors they think influenced their success and attempt to replicate them (Seifert, 2004). For instance, if a student believes they got a good grade on a test because of their efforts rather than luck, they will be motivated to study for upcoming tests. In general, the theories of motivation are closely connected, and behavior is often explained by a combination of several theories.
In conclusion, self-determination theory can be used to explain motivation. People are inspired to pursue psychological growth when they feel a sense of autonomy, competence, and connection. Studies on the SDT show that it has implications for teaching and learning. Students develop intrinsic motivation when their parents and educators provide autonomous support. Ultimately, teachers can utilize concepts from the theory to create optimal classroom conditions.
References
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2016). Optimizing students’ motivation in the era of testing and pressure: A self-determination theory perspective. In Liu, W., Wang, J., Ryan, R. (eds) Building autonomous learners (pp. 9-29). Springer. Web.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. Web.
Seifert, T. (2004). Understanding student motivation. Educational Research, 46(2), 137-149. Web.