Self-Determination Theory

            Everything we accomplish in life takes some form of motivation to do. Whether the motivation is external or internal does not make a huge difference, it just has to be present.  One of the largest challenges in education as a teacher is to find a way to help students develop intrinsic motivation through the use of external factors, such as rewards, grades, and praise.  The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) examines the roles these concepts play, through focusing on “the interplay between the extrinsic forces acting on persons and the intrinsic motives and needs inherent in human nature” (Deci). 

            This theory explores human motivation and personality in cognitive and social development (Deci).  Self-Determination Theory seeks to examine how social factors foster or prohibit intrinsic motivation and therefore affect quality of performance.  The main factors taken into account for this theory are a person’s feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; it is hypothesized that when a person experiences a high level of these three factors their motivation is high and thus so is the quality of their work.  The opposite also applies- if a person feels that these three abilities are unsupported in a social setting, their intrinsic motivation will be low in that setting.

            The main assumption of SDT is that “people are active organisms, with evolved tendencies toward growing, mastering ambient challenges, and integrating new experiences into a coherent sense of self” that require “ongoing social nutrients and support” (Deci).  This theory is made up of five mini-theories: Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET), Organismic Integration Theory (OIT), Causality Orientations Theory (COT), Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), and Goal Contents Theory (GCT).  Each of these mini-theories explains a different aspect of how motivation plays an important role in social and psychological contexts (Deci). 

            The Self-Determination Theory plays a large role in present day education which is demonstrated in the current widely adopted grading and evaluation systems used in virtually every school district.  In a social context, being the child with a failing grade can affect a child’s feeling of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which can according to this theory affect the child’s motivation.  There are several ways an internet-based application can be incorporated in the classroom to help student’s motivation by the concepts highlighted in the STD.  The concept of an online badge system is one perfect example of how to utilize an online system to enhance intrinsic motivation and the student’s feeling of achievement.

            In an online badge system, a student gets a “piece” of the badge for each specific activity they complete, and because the activities can be adjusted based on skill level, an educator is able to level the playing field for students through customization features.  This provides motivation to complete learning activities for an external reward (a piece of the badge), and builds feelings of autonomy, competency, and relatedness in students. As children are able to on their own complete activities, they are able to feel that they have the skills to complete other activities.  The badge system is set up based on student profiles, so no other student knows how his or her classmates are doing unless he or she shares with them.

            This platform ties nicely into developing concepts that are key in SDT.  The online badge system presents new challenges to students after they have mastered previous ones and always presents an external reward.  The personal drive to achieve completion of tasks in order to obtain more badges will grow as the student begins to feel more autonomous and capable of doing so, and the environment allows for educator support and minimal social confrontation or discomfort with peers as it moves away from a traditional grading scale.

References:

Deci, E. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory