Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a motivational theory developed by Ed Deci and Richard Ryan in the 1970s and extensively tested by scholars since. SDT provides a framework to explain how people are motivationally oriented towards a particular task. SDT also describes how fulfillment of three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) can foster greater levels of self-determined behavior and perceptions of autonomy, both of which can have significant positive effects on student success and learning in the classroom. Fostering perceptions of autonomy is especially important within this motivational theory and it is a cornerstone of the IMPACT program.
Edward Deci is a Professor of Psychology and the Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester in New York. To learn more about Deci's research, explore the resources below: