Lens Of Self-determination Theory Research Articles

INTEGRATING SYSTEMS THINKING AND PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN SUPPORTING BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS: A PROPOSED MODEL FOR FILIPINO STEM STUDENTS

INTEGRATING SYSTEMS THINKING AND PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN SUPPORTING BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS: A PROPOSED MODEL FOR FILIPINO STEM STUDENTS

Charting creativity in government: the relationship between transformational leadership, psychological empowerment and employee creative performance

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the link between transformational leadership and employee creativity through the lens of self-determination theory, with psychological empowerment serving as a mediating factor. Additionally, it will examine how financial rewards and job formalization might moderate this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses a survey approach, targeting employees and supervisors from government ministries in the United Arab Emirates through purposive sampling. The study collected data from 254 participants via an online questionnaire and analyzed it using the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique in SmartPLS4.FindingsThe results show that transformational leadership has a significant impact on the psychological empowerment and creative performance of employees. The relationship between transformative leadership and employee creative performance is mediated by psychological empowerment. Additionally, the moderating effects of financial rewards and job formalization are explored. The findings do not support the moderating role of job formalization, and financial rewards negatively moderate the transformational leadership–psychological empowerment relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is centered on a particular cultural setting and government ministry employees, thus limiting the generalizability.Originality/valueThis study explores at how transformational leadership affects employee creativity, considering the role of psychological empowerment and how financial rewards and job structure might influence this relationship.

Understanding civil servants’ public service motivation, withdrawal behavior, and taking-charge behavior through the lens of self-determination theory

Contemporary public management research has focused heavily on the consequences of public service motivation (PSM). However, only a handful of studies have been conducted to develop context-indifferent measurement scales that reflect the nature of this central concept, which ranges along a continuum from controlled to autonomous motivation. This study proposes a new PSM model grounded in self-determination theory (SDT) and empirically validates two behavioral elements for the SDT-based PSM using data from Guangdong Province of China. Specifically, it is found that (1) the withdrawal behavior of public employees is positively influenced by their external PSM, negatively associated with identified and introjected PSM, and independent of intrinsic and integrated PSM; (2) there are positive relationships between introjected-, intrinsic-, identified-PSM, and taking-charge behavior; and (3) integrated and external PSM do not show significant outcome effects. Acknowledging that different motivational dimensions underlying the SDT-based PSM vary in their importance to the stimulation of withdrawal and taking-charge behaviors, the paper concludes with a future agenda for SDT- and PSM-related research that can be furthered in a manner that enriches theory or illuminates practice.

Investigating student’s motivation and online learning engagement through the lens of self-determination theory

PurposeThe lack of physical contact and the absence of nonverbal clues could make some learners uncomfortable interacting with others via online learning platforms. Hence, understanding the determinants of students' motivation and engagement in online learning platforms is crucial in harnessing digital technology as an enabler of unrestricted and quality learning experiences.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the self-determination theory (SDT), this study investigates the factors associated with student’s motivation to learn (MOL) and their influence on online learning engagement (OLE). Data were collected from 228 university students from the Klang Valley region of Malaysia using the online survey method.FindingsThe results of data analysis using the partial least squares structural equation modeling indicate that self-directed learning, computer and Internet self-efficacy and online communication self-efficacy significantly influence MOL. Besides, these factors indirectly influence OLE through MOL.Originality/valueThis study adds to the SDT framework by demonstrating how students' perceptions of autonomy, competence and relatedness through online interaction relate to MOL and OLE.

Does teachers’ motivation have an impact on students’ scientific literacy and motivation? An empirical study in Colombia with data from PISA 2015

In this study we use data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to investigate the effect of teachers’ motivation on students’ scientific literacy and motivation in Colombia. These relationships are explored using a multilevel modeling framework and through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Although difficulties in achieving education quality in developing and emerging economies are commonly attributed to teacher motivation issues, and important policy measures are implemented based on this assumption, this topic remains largely empirically unexplored. The purpose of the study is to contribute to fill this gap and provide empirically based insights for a broader and more informed dialogue regarding the effect of motivation in the development of scientific literacy, and to the design and implementation of evidence-based policies, instructional practices, and interventions. In this analysis, we did not find a significant relationship between teacher motivation and either students’ scientific literacy or motivation. However, students’ interest in science and sense of self-efficacy were significantly associated with their own achievement. The results also show that teacher-directed instruction is the strongest predictor of scientific literacy as opposed to inquiry-based teaching. However, inquiry-based teaching was found to be a positive predictor of increased students’ motivation.

TEACHING OUTSIDE AREA OF EXPERTISE: A BARRIER TO OR ENABLER OF TEACHERS’ SENSE OF COMPETENCE?

For a majority of academics, it has become an increasingly common reality to teach outside their area of expertise. However, there has been little discussion on the impact of out-of-field teaching on teachers and their teaching. The current study examined Vietnamese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards teaching outside their area of expertise, and the influence of out-of-field teaching on teachers’ sense of competence through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Data were collected through semi-constructed interviews carried out by 15 Vietnamese EFL university teachers. Findings revealed that out-of-field teaching can be either a barrier to or an enabler of the satisfaction of teachers’ need for competence. The study found that lack of content knowledge did not always prevent teachers from seeing themselves as effective teachers and enhancing their need for competence. Teachers’ senses of effectiveness, confidence, motivation, and enjoyment of teaching depend largely on how they conceptualise their roles in teaching. Particularly, those with a high level of self-efficacy and did not consider themselves as a knowledge expert in teaching were more likely to see out-of-field teaching as an opportunity for their knowledge enhancement. The study suggests that different stakeholders (e.g., educators, policy makers, school leaders and administrators, and teachers) should develop an understanding of how teachers conceptualise their roles in teaching and what makes them feel competent to provide teachers with need-supportive environment.

Family Physician Motivation and Well-Being in the Digital Era.

Family physicians rapidly shifted to using virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it is largely unknown if this change has impacted their workplace motivation. A better understanding of this matter is essential for optimizing the integration of virtual care into standard practice and for supporting family physician well-being. Using a self-determination theory lens, we examined if family physicians experienced autonomous (vs controlled) motivation toward using virtual care, how this related to their subjective well-being, and whether satisfaction (vs frustration) of their basic psychological needs at work mediated that relationship. Using cross-sectional survey methodology, quantitative data was collected from 156 family physicians in Alberta, Canada. The questionnaire contained validated scales for measuring motivational quality, workplace need fulfillment, and subjective well-being. Descriptive, correlational, and mediation analyses were performed. Family physicians varied significantly in their quality of motivation towards using virtual care. Controlled motivation toward using virtual care was associated with lower well-being, and workplace need frustration fully mediated that relationship. Conversely, workplace need satisfaction, but not autonomous motivation toward using virtual care, was associated with higher well-being. In line with self-determination theory, findings suggest that when family physicians' motivation toward using virtual care is less self-determined, it will lead to poorer subjective well-being, because of basic psychological need frustration. Potential implications of the findings are discussed within the contexts of virtual health and primary care.

Why do consumers consume masstige products? A cross-cultural investigation through the lens of self-determination theory

Shaping consumers' attitudes and influencing their consumption of masstige brands via intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is an unexplored research area. By applying self-determination theory, this study attempts to divulge how extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in a cross-cultural context affect masstige consumption behavior. Thus, a research framework and hypotheses are developed and validated using cross-sectional research. The data were collected from 437 Canadian and 412 Indian respondents using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Path analysis was performed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship. The path analysis established that attitudes and masstige consumption are influenced by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations and further studies established that attitude partially mediates the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations on masstige consumption. However, the moderation analysis failed to establish the role of Hofstede's cultural variable (i.e., power distance) in modifying the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on masstige consumption for Indian consumers, while it did in the Canadian context, albeit on select relationships. The findings of this study may be useful to masstige marketers in understanding cultural differences when designing promotional campaigns that resonate with consumers.

Expression of Concern: Exploring Chinese and Ethiopian higher VET adolescent learning motivation through the lens of self-determination theory.

Expression of Concern: Exploring Chinese and Ethiopian higher VET adolescent learning motivation through the lens of self-determination theory.

How intrinsically motivating are swimming instructors/lessons in the Netherlands? An observational study through the lens of self-determination theory.

It is desirable that (more) children continue swimming after having completed their swimming lessons to preserve their swimming skills and water safety, and as part of an active, healthy lifestyle. This may be encouraged by stirring children's intrinsic motivation for swimming during swimming lessons. However, it is currently unknown how intrinsically motivating swimming lessons are in Western countries. This study examined to what extent swimming instructors in the Netherlands cater to the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which, according to Self-Determination Theory (SDT), promote intrinsic motivation. Additionally, it examined whether an SDT-based teaching program prompts instructors to better meet these needs, and to what extent the teaching program, the education and experience of the instructor, and the group size predict the employment of SDT in swimming lessons. A total of 128 swimming lessons given by equally many instructors were observed in the Netherlands and rated on a modified version of the SDT teaching style scale to assess autonomy, competence, and relatedness support. The swimming lessons referred to four teaching programs, one of which was explicitly based on SDT. Instructors exhibited autonomy-thwarting, weakly competence-supportive, and relatedness-supportive behaviors. The SDT-based teaching program scored higher on the provision of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in lessons. This finding was significant for autonomy. Teaching program was the only significant predictor of SDT employment by instructors. Further improvement is desirable in catering to the basic needs, particularly autonomy, which can be achieved by deliberately implementing the principles of SDT into teaching programs for swimming.

A motivational approach to understanding problematic smartphone use and negative outcomes in university students

Considering the rising integration of smartphones into classrooms, the purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and negative outcomes through the lens of self-determination theory. This study examined 1,039 students’ reported academic motivation, PSU, anxiety, insomnia, and perceived stress. The first objective of this study was to examine how motivational orientations could predict PSU. Then, we examined how motivational orientations and PSU, when used as a mediating variable, could be modeled to predict negative student mental health outcomes (anxiety, insomnia, and perceived stress). As predicted, statistically significant results suggested that autonomous academic motivation was associated with less PSU (β = −0.16), as well as less anxiety (β = −0.12), insomnia (β = −0.16), and stress (β = −0.10). In contrast, higher levels of controlled academic motivation were associated with more PSU (β = 0.37), as well as higher levels of anxiety (β = 0.49) and insomnia (β = 0.41). Amotivation was also positively related to PSU (β = 0.17), anxiety (β = 0.36), insomnia (β = 0.62), and stress (β = 0.22). All indirect effects (mediation effects) were statistically significant and in the predicted direction: the impact of autonomous motivation on negative outcomes was mediated by lower levels of PSU while controlled motivation and amotivation were mediated by higher levels of PSU. Overall, this study advanced the understanding of PSU in university classrooms by demonstrating a link with academic motivation and mental health outcomes.

Older Adults’ Views on Characteristics of Groups to Support Engagement

ABSTRACT Taking part in formal classes or social engagement opportunities are important aspects of aging well, yet little is known about the key elements underlying the success of these initiatives. This qualitative study therefore aimed to examine older adults’ views on characteristics of formal classes or opportunities that support engagement. Twenty-four older adults (age range 66–93) from South Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed, applying the lens of Self Determination Theory (SDT). Specifically, how engaging in these opportunities fulfil psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness was considered. Characteristics of formal classes or engagement opportunities that were both conducive to their success and SDT need satisfaction included good organization, clear communication, belongingness and alignment with the needs, interests, and resources of participants. We provide a conceptual model which could be applied in designing such opportunities for older adults.

How can Squadland motivate people to adopt sustainable behaviours through its metaverse?

Squadeasy, founded in France in 2014 with a move-to-earn app, launched a metaverse called Squadland in 2022, with a goal of increasing the company’s positive impact on the planet. When app users engaged in fitness activity in the real world, they earned tokens to buy land and other digital assets (NFTs) in Squadland, thereby improving the environment both inside the app and in the real world; Squadeasy bought land in the real world to mirror users’ actions in the metaverse. In this way, users could contribute to positive social change and have a sustainable effect on the world. This case discusses users’ motivations to engage in this metaverse, through the lens of Self Determination Theory. First, rather than fun and rewards, identified regulation is the relevant motivation to trigger commitment to the metaverse as it related to personal values and self-identity. Second, three external situational factors (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) positively increase commitment and will help users stay with the app. The metaverse fits well with these three external situational factors and can help achieve actual sustainable change.

Applying self-determination theory to stem medical schools' clinical teacher sustainability crisis.

Medical schools require highly skilled and committed clinical faculty to teach, assess, supervise and mentor students' clinical care. Medical education is facing a crisis in recruiting and sustaining these clinical teachers. Faced with multiple demands and responsibilities in fast-paced clinical environments, teachers may not have the time, resources or stamina to sustain these critical roles. Medical school leaders must commit to and provide structures and processes to attract, sustain and retain clinical teachers. The authors use the lens of self-determination theory to frame approaches to support teacher sustainability. Self-determination theory describes sources of human motivation. The theory and its evidence base characterise three human psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This theory can bridge individual psychological and institutional leadership perspectives to help medical school leaders anticipate and respond to their clinical teachers' needs. The authors propose three practical steps: practices to advance employee-centredness, processes to align individual and institutional values, and restructuring education to support clinical teachers' needs alongside student and patient needs. The authors describe limitations to this relational approach that focuses on leadership actions and consider individual agency as another key factor for sustainability. Medical school leaders can develop and apply theory-driven approaches to advance sustainability. Sustainability now and in the future requires careful attention to the needs of clinical teachers and to their relationships with and within medical schools.

What motivate learners to continue a professional development program through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)?: A lens of self-determination theory

What motivate learners to continue a professional development program through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)?: A lens of self-determination theory

Benefits and challenges of combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency programs: A qualitative study.

The combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency program was created in 2011 for trainees interested in careers within both specialties. Prior studies have cited challenges of combined training, but none have systematically identified benefits. Our objective was to describe the perceived educational and professional benefits and challenges of combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency programs. In this qualitative study using a phenomenological approach, all graduates of combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency programs from 2016 to 2021, program directors, associate program directors, and faculty mentors were invited to participate in surveys and interviews. Study members conducted interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Each transcript was coded inductively by two authors and themes were developed using thematic analysis through the lens of self-determination theory. 43 of 62 graduates and faculty responded to our survey (69% response rate), and 14 graduates and five faculty were interviewed. Survey and interview data represented seven programs, including five currently accredited combined programs. Themes emerged regarding benefits of training: it 1) fosters residents' clinical expertise in managing critically ill and medically complex children; 2) provides residents with exceptional knowledge and skills in communicating between medical and perioperative services; and 3) affords unique academic and career opportunities. Other themes emerged regarding the challenges of long duration of training and transitions between pediatrics and anesthesiology rotations. This is the first study to describe the perceived educational and professional benefits of combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency programs. Combined training affords exceptional clinical competence and autonomy in the management of pediatric patients and the ability to skillfully navigate hospital systems, and leads to robust academic and career opportunities. However, the duration of training and challenging transitions may threaten residents' sense of relatedness to colleagues and peers, and their self-perceived competence and autonomy. These results can inform mentoring and recruitment of residents to combined pediatrics-anesthesiology programs and career opportunities for graduates.

Examining the relationship between science motivational beliefs and science achievement in Emirati early adolescents through the lens of self-determination theory

BackgroundA solid foundation in science is critical to students’ success in the 21st century workforce, especially in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Therefore, high-quality science education is critical to prepare students for the challenges of the future. However, Emirati students have consistently performed poorly on international standardized science assessments, suggesting that the underlying factors contributing to this trend need to be understood. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between motivational beliefs in science (i.e., science self-concept and intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science) and science achievement in Emirati early adolescents using a self-determination theory framework.MethodsA total of 7,915 Emirati eighth-grade students (Meanage = 13.61 years, SD = 0.53) participated in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The TIMSS 2019 assessment measured students’ motivational beliefs in science and their achievement in science. Path analysis and bootstrapping were used to examine the relationship between these variables and to test the mediating role of intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science in the relationship between science self-concept and science achievement.ResultsThe results of the study indicate that science self-concept is positively related to both intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science and science achievement. Intrinsic motivation to learn science was significantly related to science achievement, whereas instrumental motivation was not. Moreover, intrinsic motivation to learn science alone significantly mediated the relationship between science self-concept and science achievement.ConclusionsThe study offers insights into the specific motivational beliefs associated with science achievement and highlights the importance of fostering positive science self-concept and intrinsic motivation in Emirati early adolescents. The study also suggests that interventions to promote positive science self-concept and intrinsic motivation to learn science may be particularly effective in improving science achievement in this population. These findings have important implications for educators and policymakers seeking to promote academic success and career opportunities for Emirati students in science.

Text-induced travels: a self-determination perspective

Studies have shown that literature stimulates tourist motivations and have often assumed literary reading-tourism as special interests. The general literary education in primary and secondary schools and its influencing mechanism on students' literary travel motivation has been ignored. By analyzing data gathered from 195 Chinese students through the lens of self-determination theory, we developed a conceptual framework to understand how students' literary interests arise from their personal interactions with texts, how these interests naturally develop into travel motivations, and how such development is influenced by exam-oriented schooling and disenchanting reality. The study advances theoretical understanding of how the reading experience in its original context motivates tourism and highlights the power of texts in today's multimedia age.

Second language learning role-play: effects of patient and doctor roles on motivation and competence.

Role-playing has motivated foreign language learners for decades. In doctor-patient medical consultation role-plays, the doctor role has always been considered an important learning opportunity, whilst the patient role remained obscured. Our study, therefore, had a dual focus. We first explored how intrinsic motivation changes medical second-language (L2) learning through the lens of self-determination theory. We subsequently examined if playing the role of the patient provides additional value to medical L2 learning. We performed a mixed-methods study using a one-group pretest-posttest design. Participants were 15 student volunteers learning medical Dutch through peer role-play in medical consultations. Students completed a questionnaire before and after the course that measured changes in their intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation (IMES), feeling of relatedness, and feeling of competence. We also measured students' competence through a peer-rated checklist and the final course grades. At the end of the course, the students participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experience acting as patients. The data were subjected to the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and a thematic analysis. The pre- and post-questionnaires revealed that students' IMES as well as their feeling of relatedness increased. Their self-perceptions, feeling of competence, peer assessments, and final course grades demonstrated that students were competent in medical L2. Our thematic analysis led to the identification of five themes of the role-play exercise for medical L2 learning: (1) motivational experience, (2) supportive peer interaction, (3) setting up a role-play environment for medical L2 learning, (4) utilizing the patient role to benefit medical L2 learning, and (5) a novel patient perspective on the doctor's role. Our study found that role-play, by enhancing students' intrinsic motivation, feeling of relatedness, and competence development, aids the medical L2 learning process. Interestingly, playing a patient role in medical consultation was also found to support this process. We welcome future controlled experiments to confirm the positive impact of playing the role of the patient in medical consultation.

Adhocracy culture buffers for mindfulness outcome: A cross-level moderated mediation analysis

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic reduced the performance of the software developer team in the Indian IT industry because of numerous psychosocial challenges while working in a non-dedicated workspace. Therefore, using the lens of self-determination theory (SDT), the present study investigated the indirect effect of mindfulness on team performance via psychological safety and active remote engagement under the bounded condition of adhocracy culture. The web-based responses of 604 team members nested in 99 teams from 10 Indian IT companies were used to perform a multilevel analysis. The analyses were conducted using Mplus 8.0 version to test the hypothesis. The results showed a significant serial mediation role of psychological safety and remote engagement in the relationship between the mindfulness of software developers and team performance. The relationship between mindfulness and psychological safety becomes stronger when the adhocracy culture is high. Similarly, the relationship between mindfulness and team performance via the serial mediation of psychological safety and active remote engagement becomes stronger when the adhocracy culture is high. Similar to many psychological approaches, this study supports the postulates advocated by SDT, while emphasizing the central role played by mindfulness.