The correlation between need satisfaction and learning motivation: A self-determination theory perspective

Abstract

Suggested Citation: Hu, P. (2017). The correlation between need satisfaction and learning motivation: A self-determination theory perspective. International Journal of Learning and Teaching. 9(1), 319-329.Received August 17, 2016; revised October 26, 2016; accepted January 8, 2017. Selection and peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hafize Keser, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. AbstractTo examine the relationship between need satisfaction and learning motivation, a survey was conducted in an engineering college in China. Collected data were processed and analyzed via SPSS software; then a confirmatory factor analysis was performed with SEM method. Outcomes of the research indicated that: 1) satisfaction of autonomy and relatedness contributed to autonomous motivation; 2) satisfaction of competence and relatedness helped shift controlled motivation to autonomous motivation; 3) unexpectedly, satisfaction of competence had negative effect on autonomous regulation, as did satisfaction of autonomy on controlled regulation. The outcomes imply that learners" psychological needs should be satisfied according to their pre-existing types of motivation, and that studies on motivation based on Self-determination Theory (SDT) should take cultural factors into consideration Keywords: SDT, basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation, correlation *ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: School of Humanities, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou Fujian 350118, P.R. China. E-mail address: p.hu@hull.ac.uk Hu, P. (2017). The correlation between need satisfaction and learning motivation: A self-determination theory perspective. International Journal of Learning and Teaching. 9(1), 319-329. 1. BackgroundIt is universally acknowledged that human needs are basically related to motivation. Maslow (1943) believes that human needs cover 5 levels: physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. McClelland and Burnham (1976, 1995) points out that when basic needs for survival are met, human seek the needs for achievement, power and affiliation. Deci & Ryan"s (1985, 2000 self-determination theory (SDT) focuses on human psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, and maintains that satisfaction of the basic needs leads to better motivation, performance, and well-being, since the innate needs are essential "psychological nutriments" for human beings to develop and function well. SDT also emphasizes that social contexts supportive of satisfaction of the basic needs enhance self-determined motivation, and that the needs can be met through a variety of activities and approaches.Motivation is not only an aspiration of goal pursuit, but also the strong will and tireless efforts to achieve it (Kong, 2009). Motivation, playing a crucial role in foreign language education, has attracted researchers and educators to conduct research on it from different perspectives for nearly half a century. Gardner and Lambert (1972) identified integrative and instrumental motivation as the tw...

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