Abstract
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that, within formal school settings, students’ satisfied needs for a positive teacher-student relationship, perceived competence and autonomy may be utilised to predict their engagement with learning activities. The current research was seeking insights through the research question: What does prior SDT-embedded research reveal to be the strongest sociocultural motivational influences upon students’ self-reported engagement with learning in science and other subjects? The findings from an adapted meta-ethnographic review (MER) revealed that, whilst SDT emphasises the importance of autonomy as a basis for students’ engagement with learning, the motivation to exercise autonomy within science (and other curricula subjects) is a potential outcome cumulatively influenced by the students’ perceived competence and quality of the teacher-student relationship. These findings present the three SDT constructs as hierarchical, in that there is an emergent order of influence from the teacher-student relationship quality (SDT: relatedness) and perceived competence (SDT: competence) upon the quality and persistence of students’ motivated desire to be autonomous during learning activities (SDT: autonomy). The findings are significant, in terms of the proposed hierarchy, and enhancing research practitioners understanding of students’ motivation to engage with science learning activities. The findings are presented such that it may be further applied and modified by academics and practitioners as part of their classroom-based research agendas.
Highlights
Empirical research applying Self-Determination Theory within classrooms suggests that the simultaneous satisfaction of three basic psychological needs predict students’ motivation to engage with learning activities
Of all the variables that appear to stimulate students’ engagement behaviours, the students most commonly selfreported the need for supportive conditions that are dependent upon the teacher-student relationship quality as the basis for enhancing the student’s perceived competence (Christenson et al, 2008; Hamre and Pianta, 2006; Hughes et al, 2008; Reeve, 2006; Reeve, 2012, p. 152)
The motivation to be autonomous consistently emerged as an outcome of the combination of teachers’ relational-enhancing behaviours and the extent to which teachers’ competence-based feedback enhances students’ perceived selfcompetence
Summary
Empirical research applying Self-Determination Theory (hereafter referred to as SDT) within classrooms suggests that the simultaneous satisfaction of three basic psychological needs predict students’ motivation to engage with learning activities. The three constructs of SDT centre upon the extent to which an individual perceives that his / her allied basic psychological needs are being satisfied or thwarted, and the influence that these perceptions have upon self-system processes such as self-efficacy, achievement, and motivation for learning These influence self-regulated behaviours indicative of engagement within the classroom (Reeve, 2002, 2012; Ryan and Deci, 2009). “What does prior SDT-embedded research reveal to be the strongest sociocultural motivational influences upon students’ self-reported engagement with learning?”, an MER was used to synthesise and translate 32 research studies in order to find common SDT-based motivational patterns of influence upon academic engagement in learning activities This was done in order to gain a more informed insight into the potential hierarchical impact of SDT constructs and other emergent motivational variables upon student engagement.
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