Psychologists agree that human motivation is largely driven by physiological and psychological needs. Self-Determination Theory of motivation attests that humans have a natural tendency for optimal functioning and self-actualization. People can be motivated by external or by internal factors. Social contexts can facilitate or inhibit the processes of internalization and integration of externally-regulated behaviors by either promoting or preventing the fulfillment of the three psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy. Academic environments that facilitate students' perceptions of competence, relatedness, and autonomy have a positive influence on students' academic achievement. In this study, we evaluated the effect of online-homework and PLTL workshops on students' perception of competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The results of the study indicate that both online-homework and PLTL workshops provide social contexts that support students' needs of competence and relatedness. The results also show that neither online-homework nor PLTL workshops provide support for students' perception of autonomy.

Effect of the online-homework and PLTL on the motivation of undergraduate general chemistry students from self-determination theory perspective

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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