Self-determination is not only a cornerstone for motivation researchers, but is a colloquially referenced theory, particularly by teachers discussing students’ intrinsic or extrinsic motivations.
Self-determination theory is more than intrinsic (inherent satisfaction) and extrinsic motivation (ulterior benefit) (Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall, 2014, p. 93). An intrinsic-extrinsic range of regulations exists: introjection (acknowledges elements like guilt or pride), identification (includes the self-determined value given to a task), and integration (includes the influence of personal values) (p. 93). Additionally, the three psychological needs of Self-determination theory are: autonomy (feeling free/in control), competence (confidence in ability), and relatedness (feeling appreciated/valued) (p. 93-4). The balance of these needs within the intrinsic-extrinsic spectrum outlines Self-determination research.
This theory is well-suited for examining the broad view of students’ motivations and factors that impact learning. Students’ disinterest or engagement can be related to how the assignment meets their autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs. Similarly, recognizing students reliance on intrinsic/extrinsic motivation can inform the strategies teachers employ; igniting the ever-elusive intrinsic motivation remains a “hot topic” for practitioners.
This theory is not well-suited to examine micro-views on motivation. Self-determination might be able to identify differences between students’ overall types of motivations, but personal ideals/values are not easily integrated. Cultural beliefs related to valuing certain subjects/skills or character traits might impact how students are described using this theory, so understanding sociocultural contexts is necessary. In fact, Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall (2014) argue that adding sociocultural perspectives to motivation research “may be especially useful in understanding how motivation develops and functions in educational settings” (p. 98).
I am interested in your point about intrinsic motivation as a main goal for teachers. While pure intrinsic motivation may be preferable to pure extrinsic motivation, it was interesting that Self Determination Theory (SDT) breaks down this construct into intervals, instead of a dichotomous choice. The authors describe that “…extrinsic motivation may itself vary in the degree to which it is internalized….” (Linnenbrink-Garcia & Patall, Page 93). It seems that some forms of extrinsic motivation are very nearly intrinsic motivation, and pure intrinsic motivation may be very difficult to experience. What are your thoughts on this scale of motivation?
Hi Sarah,
I’ glad you brought up the socio-cultural perspective because the contextualizes what “relatedness” may mean to different people, for instance. Sometimes I wonder if the theory in itself can’t be used in certain places because autonomy isn’t important in many cultures. Do you think that using a socio-cultural lens would mean that the influence of each of the three components may not necessarily be equal? Perhaps the ‘relatedness’ part would end up having more influence on intrinsic motivation than ‘autonomy’ does!
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for your reply. I think the spectrum of intrinsic-extrinsic motivation is ideal because, as you said, achieving perfect intrinsic motivation is extremely difficult to experience, and I even question if it is actually possible. Will there not always be external factors at play in the real world? No student learns in a vacuum, so no students’ motivation exists in a vacuum either. Surely we can aim for as much intrinsic motivation as possible, while still allowing for and utilizing extrinsic influences along the way.
Hi Sukanya,
Yes, I completely agree with you! I think that cultural factors would certainly shift the weight of each of the psychological needs. I would be really interested in research that measured the preferred balance of autonomy, relatedness, and competence between cultures. This is something we should respect and understand as part of what should inform future motivation work.
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