A New View on Teaching Motivation—Self-determination Theory

Self-determination Theory categorises motivation into three broad types: amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation according to the level of self-determination. This theory argues that people’s motivation is a developmental process across time and place. Furthermore, it emphasizes that three basic psychological needs—a need for competence, a need for autonomy, and a need for relatedness—are the nutriments of motivation. Thus, as this theory not only concerns the type of motivation, but also the circumstances that promote and maintain motivation, it offers insight to the nature of lecturers’ motivation. It is claimed to be one of the most influential theories in contemporary motivation psychology.