Support or Control
This term’s newsletters have followed a clear them: classroom learning motivation and regulation are superior when students feel autonomy-support in the learning environment. Today, two lists that show in the most practical way what supportive and controlling behaviours look like. Here are ten controlling behaviours, outlined in a 2006 paper by Johnmarshall Reeve and Hyungshim […]
Seven Autonomy-Supportive Instructional Behaviours to Transform Your Classroom
In a 2021 research paper, two academic researchers conducted a meta-analysis of over 50 high-quality research studies that investigated what autonomy-supportive instruction looked like in classrooms around the world. They found that “the skillful enactment of seven autonomy-satisfying instructional behaviors serve[d] two purposes.” It helped to support intrinsic motivation and support internalisation of content. From […]
Creating an autonomy-supportive classroom
In a recent article I wrote about motivation – or what psychology researchers more accurately call “regulation”. A useful question to ask students is not “How motivated are you?”. Rather, try “How are you motivated?” If they’re externally motivated, or introjected, you’ll get lousy results. If they’re identified, you’ll see progress. If they’re integrated or […]
The Secret Source of Classroom Motivation
It’s well accepted that there are two kinds of motivation. Some students are extrinsically motivated. They’ll move if you offer a big enough bribe or threat. Carrots and sticks. Punishments and rewards. Other students are intrinsically motivated. They don’t need your input to go after something. It’s inside them. They’re keen. Focused. Driven. Drawn to […]