Exploring the Disconnect Between Self Determination Theory (SDT) and the Engineering Classroom Environment

This study examines the influence of adopting a student-centered active learning approach based on selfdetermination theory (SDT) to develop independent and motivated first-year Australian business undergraduates. Existing literature demonstrates how active learningapproaches can help to improve student motivation. However, there are no empirical studies to assess the influence of active learningclassroom activities on student academic performance during their first year of tertiary studies. The aim of our study is to contribute to knowledge by integrating self-determination theory, and ‘at-home ethnographic’ research approach to reflect on how active learning-classroom strategies can help tertiary business students become independent learners and improve their academic performance. The active learning-classroom approach included a scaffolded assessment structure; timely and ongoing tutor feedback on assessment criteria and learning outcomes of the scaffolded assessments; and social/peerbased learning activities within and outside of the classroom to support student performance. The authors draw on an ‘at-home ethnographic’ research approach, which allowed the teaching team to use their observations during the 13 weeks of teaching, and team reflections, to describe not only what they witnessed, but also their experiences of how students interacted, and what they did within the classroom environment. The study shows that students became autonomous and positively benefited from the scaffolded assessment structure while evolving to become competent, independent learners due to the continuous feedback they received on their assessments, and to the active peer learning within and outside of the classroom. Moreover, the group assessments provided a platform to engage with academic literature, which, in turn, helped students to challenge their understanding of the concepts by engaging in critical analysis with their peers. The findings can help future tertiary learning designers to develop first year assessments that will support students to become independent learners and reduce the level of attrition during the first year of tertiary education

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Understanding Physical Activity Intentions in Physical Education Context: A Multi-Level Analysis from the Self-Determination Theory

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17030799 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 799 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David Sánchez-Oliva ◽

Athanasios Mouratidis ◽

Francisco M. Leo ◽

José L. Chamorro ◽

Juan J. Pulido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Classroom Environment ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Autonomous Motivation ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Self Determination ◽

Perceived Need ◽

Need Support

Using self-determination theory as a framework, we aimed to study the relationships between perceived need support and need satisfaction with self-determined motivation and extracurricular physical activity intentions in the physical education (PE) classroom, including sex and out-of-school sport participation as moderators. Additionally, we aimed to test whether a need-supportive classroom environment in PE moderates these associations. Participants were 1259 students (556 males) aged between 12 to 16 years (Mage = 13.46 years; SD = 0.74) from 77 PE classes. At the student level we found (a) need satisfaction to predict positively autonomous motivation and negatively amotivation, and (b) autonomous motivation to predict positively and amotivation to predict negatively intentions to undertake extracurricular physical activities. At the classroom level, in need-supportive classes males benefit more than females in terms of increased autonomous motivation while females benefit more than males in terms of decreased amotivation. Finally, class-level perceived need support moderated (i.e., attenuated) the negative association between need satisfaction and amotivation and between amotivation and intentions. These results suggest a buffering role that a need-supportive classroom environment may have on students’ motivation and behavior.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATEDNESS SUPPORT IN EDUCATION

Euroasia Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities ◽

10.38064/eurssh.233 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (21) ◽

pp. 51-58

Author(s):

Nehir DEVRİM

Keyword(s):

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Classroom Environment ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Self Determination ◽

Emotional Engagement ◽

Observation Study ◽

Processing Level ◽

Instructional Behavior

Self Determination Theory, developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan, is a motivation theory suggesting that if the innate psychological needs of people are met, their motivation will be achieved without external influence and intervention. According to this theory, autonomy (the ability to make decisions about one's own life on its own), competence (having control over outcomes and believing that one has the ability and ability to do any job) and relatedness support (to interact, connect, and value others) are psychological needs and are the optimal conditions for intrinsic motivation. In this study, the relationship between relatedness support provided by teachers in their instructional behavior and its relationship to student engagement was investigated. Students' engagement in the lesson is considered as part of their learning motivation. Designed as a cross-sectional observation study, 191 students from private and public high schools in Ankara were observed at three different times in the same class by two independent observers who received training in Self Determination Theory from the Department of Psychology. With the questions directed to the students, a positive correlation was found between students’ behavioral engagement (raising finger, asking questions, obeying the class rules, completing the given tasks), emotional engagement (enthusiasm, curiosity, interest, optimism), cognitive engagement (advanced deep information processing level and self-regulation skills) and agentic engagement (students' constructive contribution to their own learning, initiating new tasks) and the relatedness support provided by their teachers. When teachers spend time with their students, when they are physically nearby them, when they answer students’ questions, when they are clear and organized in the instructions given about the lesson, students' participation in the lesson has increased. The study also showed that teachers 'awareness of their own instructional behavior was positively correlated with students' intrinsic motivation. Feeling related to the classroom environment, the lesson, peers and the teacher enhances classroom motivation.

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Frustration and Violence in Mobile Video Games

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000236 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (2) ◽

pp. 63-70

Author(s):

Petr Květon ◽

Martin Jelínek

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

Video Game ◽

Implicit Association Test ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Self Determination ◽

Mobile Video ◽

Violent Content ◽

Before And After

Abstract. This study tests two competing hypotheses, one based on the general aggression model (GAM), the other on the self-determination theory (SDT). GAM suggests that the crucial factor in video games leading to increased aggressiveness is their violent content; SDT contends that gaming is associated with aggression because of the frustration of basic psychological needs. We used a 2×2 between-subject experimental design with a sample of 128 undergraduates. We assigned each participant randomly to one experimental condition defined by a particular video game, using four mobile video games differing in the degree of violence and in the level of their frustration-invoking gameplay. Aggressiveness was measured using the implicit association test (IAT), administered before and after the playing of a video game. We found no evidence of an association between implicit aggressiveness and violent content or frustrating gameplay.

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Modeling Self-Determination Theory Motivation Data by Using Unfolding IRT

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000629 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Philipp A. Freund ◽

Annette Lohbeck

Keyword(s):

Ideal Point ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Self Determination ◽

Dominance Model ◽

Irt Model ◽

Autonomous Behavior ◽

Location Parameters ◽

Unfolding Models ◽

Using Data ◽

Item Location

Abstract. Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that the degree of autonomous behavior regulation is a characteristic of distinct motivation types which thus can be ordered on the so-called Autonomy-Control Continuum (ACC). The present study employs an item response theory (IRT) model under the ideal point response/unfolding paradigm in order to model the response process to SDT motivation items in theoretical accordance with the ACC. Using data from two independent student samples (measuring SDT motivation for the academic subjects of Mathematics and German as a native language), it was found that an unfolding model exhibited a relatively better fit compared to a dominance model. The item location parameters under the unfolding paradigm showed clusters of items representing the different regulation types on the ACC to be (almost perfectly) empirically separable, as suggested by SDT. Besides theoretical implications, perspectives for the application of ideal point response/unfolding models in the development of measures for non-cognitive constructs are addressed.

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Challenge Demands, Hindrance Demands, and Psychological Need Satisfaction

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000122 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 70-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Simon L. Albrecht

Keyword(s):

Work Engagement ◽

Job Demands ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Structural Equations ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Self Determination ◽

Job Resources ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Psychological Need ◽

Practical Implications

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model provides a well-validated account of how job resources and job demands influence work engagement, burnout, and their constituent dimensions. The present study aimed to extend previous research by including challenge demands not widely examined in the context of the JD-R. Furthermore, and extending self-determination theory, the research also aimed to investigate the potential mediating effects that employees’ need satisfaction as regards their need for autonomy, need for belongingness, need for competence, and need for achievement, as components of a higher order needs construct, may have on the relationships between job demands and engagement. Structural equations modeling across two independent samples generally supported the proposed relationships. Further research opportunities, practical implications, and study limitations are discussed.

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Control in Flexible Working Arrangements

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000121 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 61-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Cornelia Gerdenitsch ◽

Bettina Kubicek ◽

Christian Korunka

Keyword(s):

Self Determination Theory ◽

Digital Natives ◽

Self Determination ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Similar Extent ◽

Decision Latitude ◽

Media Technologies ◽

Exploratory Approach ◽

Flexible Working ◽

Temporal And Spatial

Supported by media technologies, today’s employees can increasingly decide when and where to work. The present study examines positive and negative aspects of this temporal and spatial flexibility, and the perceptions of control in these situations based on propositions of self-determination theory. Using an exploratory approach we conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 working digital natives. Participants described positive and negative situations separately for temporal and spatial flexibility, and rated the extent to which they felt autonomous and externally controlled. Situations appraised positively were best described by decision latitude, while negatively evaluated ones were best described by work–nonwork conflict. Positive situations were perceived as autonomous rather than externally controlled; negative situations were rated as autonomously and externally controlled to a similar extent.

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