The Way Forward for Secondary School Students: The Role of Self-Determination Theory and Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract

This study aimed to use self-determination theory to explore if teachers have ignited or thwarted students’ intrinsic motivation in secondary schools, and therefore, become or not become autonomous in their own learning. According to the theory, human motivation requires consideration of the innate psychological needs of individuals. These needs include autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The study was carried out by reviewing the literature on self-determination theory. The words used to retrieve the articles from the databases included self-determination theory, human motivation, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. It is reported that when students are intrinsically motivated, they become engaged in their own learning, and they can participate fully in the required activities. Under the right classroom conditions, the students are also autonomously motivated—that is, they are engaged in their academic work with authenticity and vitality. It is identified that when students understand the worth and purpose of the activities that are given to them to perform, they feel ownership, and autonomously carry out the activities. The autonomy-supportive environment is conducive to the students’ engagement in an integrative emotional regulation, and therefore, this conducive environment enhances students’ well-being, reducing emotional dysregulation, and fostering high-quality interpersonal relationships. So, teachers are discouraged from being authoritarian in their classrooms but encouraged to provide conducive learning environments for students to intrinsically engage in their education so that they can flourish