Expertise Reversal Effect

In an article on Videnskab.dk, Louise Klinge writes about how the three parameters of self-determination theory (SDT) - self-determination, competence and cohesion - affect students' motivation in practice.

You can find the article “Three psychological needs are crucial for school students’ well-being and learning” here: https://videnskab.dk/kultur-samfund/tre-psykologiske-behov-er-afgorende-skoleelevers-trivsel-og-laering .

I think this is some really good and useful research that she has done. It emphasizes the strength of self-determination theory that it can be used to come up with such clear explanations of motivation and behavior among students. I would recommend that you read the entire article. Here are selected quotes and paraphrases of Louise Klinge's article.

She writes that she "through observations of teaching in primary school and interviews with four teachers and 50 students, among other things, investigated what is important for whether the relationships between teacher and students support the students' well-being and learning or the opposite."

She found that “In an educational context, it has been shown that supporting students' three psychological needs (self-determination, competence and cohesion) results in, among other things, better learning outcomes and increases students' academic engagement, self-esteem and persistence.”

Louise Klinge describes how the difference in how individual teachers “met the students’ three psychological needs” had a major impact on the students. She describes how a student appeared “both troublesome, restless and whiny and disruptive all at once in the teaching of one teacher who rarely met his needs for self-determination, competence and cohesion. But there was a world of difference when you entered the class when they had the other teacher, who often met the students’ three psychological needs. Here you experienced the same student as both a helpful, capable and concentrated student who only contributed positively to the teaching.”

How can a teacher meet students' self-determination needs?

The teacher who was highly successful in her teaching met the students' need for self-determination in her teaching. If one had to summarize what she did, it was to:

• respond to students' initiatives, suggestions and questions
• involve students and let them contribute to the teaching
• Don't talk for too long at a time.
• let students help each other
• make sure the students have a good time together

Although this research was conducted with students in a public school, there is no indication that the above does not also apply to adult education. SDT does not apply only to children.

Louise Klinge also notes that SDT is not widely known within public education in Denmark. To that I would add that SDT is not well known within education in general.

As I said, I highly recommend that you read the entire article.

Do you want to? learn more?

Maybe you could be interested in our Course in (digital) didactics - Learn to design good learning.

In this course you will learn how to develop learning that captures your recipients' attention and works with their motivation to learn. The course is also for those of you who teach in a classroom or online and need a professional boost.

Learn more on your own

If you'd like to read more about the brain and learning, these articles might interest you.

• Self-determination theory. The most important theory you need to know about learning.
• Coercive design – how not to design e-learning .
• Flick 2 learn. Why Interactive e-learning is NOT always exciting e-learning

Are you looking for help with developing e-learning , or would you like a course on e-learning where you learn how to create e-learning yourself - we can also help you.