Self-Determination Theory Of Extrinsic Motivation

Students’ motivation has been discussed as an important factor for successful school learning (Ryan & Connell, 1989) and second/foreign language learning (Dörnyei, 1998). In this sense, different theories and definitions of motivation have been presented. It is one of the most complex concepts in applied linguistics and educational psychology (Dörnyei & Cumming, 2003). Motivation refers to the reasons prompting a specific behavior (Guay et al., 2010). It is a process that includes directive and provoking properties (Brophy, 1983). According to Ryan and Deci (2000), to be motivated means to progress or to cause movement to do something. Dörnyei (2001) believes that motivation research primarily indicates the question of why people think and

The theory which is applied in the current paper is Self-determination theory.Self-determination theory (SDT) proposed by Deci and Ryan (1985). This theory considers an innate desire for stimulating and learning of human, which is influenced by environment (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000) and also attempt to choose (Deci & Ryan, 1985). According to SDT, , there are specific types of motivation: (1) intrinsic motivation (2) extrinsic motivation (3) amotivation. Extrinsic motivation considers an activity as a means to an end such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment. Deci and Ryan (1985) distinguished different types of extrinsic motivation: external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the drive to do an activity due to its pleasure or satisfaction. It has innate needs basis for competence and self-determination. Vallerand and his colleagues (1992, 1993) have taken Deci and Ryan’s original theory and proposed three levels of intrinsic motivation: (1) intrinsic motivation-knowledge, (2) intrinsic motivation-accomplishment, and (3) intrinsic

The goal of this qualitative study was to understand academic motivation from the students’ perspective. Their findings revealed that students often attributed their interest and motivation to their relationships with their teachers. These findings supported the theoretical foundations of the Achievement Orientation Model which indicated that students are involved and motivated to do well in school when they believe they have the required skills to do the task (self-efficacy), they get it meaningful (goal/task valuation), and they find their environment as encouraging and supportive (environmental perception). The study showed the influence of teacher on all components by encouraging students’ growth and satisfaction (building self-efficacy), making the content meaningful and challenging for their students (creating task valuation), and shaping students’ perception of support in their environment through having positive relationships and being well-informed about the content (fostering a positive environmental perception). Teachers with extensive content knowledge were more able to foster student