This book presents a potential hierarchy between the three basic psychological needs central to Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Findings from the author’s research suggest that the motivation to exercise autonomy is an outcome that is cumulatively influenced by the perceived quality of the teacher-student relationship and students’ perceived competence within specific learning contexts and with a specific teacher.

These findings are the basis for three hypotheses regarding students’ motivation to engage with learning activities. The first is that perceived competence is informed by and reciprocally informs the quality of the teacher-student relationship. The second is that students’ perceived competence and the quality of the teacher-student relationship have a combined impact upon students’ autonomous motivation. The final posit is that a teacher can be autonomy supportive both prior to and during activities where students have opportunities to exercise their autonomy. Such autonomy support includes the influence of teacher feedback upon students’ perceived competence and their subsequent motivation to autonomously engage with learning activities.

This research begins to unravel such motivational interplay through an SDT-informed model, which is used as the basis for discussing the specific influence of teacher feedback and autonomy support upon students’ engagement with learning activities in formal learning settings. The findings and model are worthy of further testing and development, as part of the wider agenda of student engagement, wellbeing and positive psychology prevalent in educational research, education psychology, and the philosophy of social motivation.