Self-Determination: Teacher Perception and Use of Instructional Strategies to Motivate

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Dr. Summer M. Walker, University of West FloridaFollow

First Presenter's Institution

University of West Florida

First Presenter’s Email Address

summermariawalker@yahoo.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Summer Walker is an accomplished educational leader with over 13 years of experience teaching mathematics and a proven track record in implementing data-driven systems to improve student outcomes. As a former MTSS Facilitator in Augusta, Georgia, she leads the design, coordination, and monitoring of multi-tiered systems of support, aligning interventions with state standards and district goals. Her expertise includes instructional analysis, curriculum alignment, and professional development facilitation, empowering educators with strategies that enhance student engagement and achievement. Over the course of her career, she has successfully guided teachers in differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and the integration of technology into mathematics instruction. Dr. Summer Walker's academic achievements reflect her commitment to lifelong learning and professional excellence. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of South Carolina Aiken, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle Grades Mathematics (6–8) from Augusta State University, and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Curriculum and Assessment from the University of West Florida. She currently completed her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Assessment at the University of West Florida. Dedicated, strategic, and passionate about equitable education, Dr. Summer Walker continues to make a meaningful impact by fostering collaborative problem-solving, promoting academic growth, and supporting the success of both students and educators.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Scarbrough 3

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Self-Determination: Teacher Perception and Use of Instructional Strategies to Motivate” — connects to both academic achievement and social-emotional skills because self-determination theory addresses the whole learner, not just test scores. Here’s how it ties together:

1. Academic Achievement Connection

• Self-determination theory emphasizes three key needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

• When teachers perceive and use instructional strategies that satisfy these needs, students are more motivated to engage with content, persist through challenges, and achieve higher academically.

• Strategies such as student choice, goal setting, and constructive feedback directly support mastery of academic standards.

2. Social-Emotional Skills Connection

• The same strategies that foster academic engagement also build self-regulation, resilience, and interpersonal skills.

• Autonomy-supportive practices help students develop decision-making and problem-solving abilities.

• Building relatedness through positive teacher-student relationships strengthens empathy, collaboration, and a sense of belonging.

3. Why the Title Fits Both

The title focuses on teacher perception and instructional strategies — meaning it examines how educators’ choices influence both learning and emotional growth. By motivating students through self-determination principles, teachers are fostering dual outcomes:

• Cognitive (better grades, stronger skills, deeper understanding)

• Affective (confidence, persistence, positive peer/teacher relationships)

Brief Program Description

This presentation explores how teachers’ perceptions and use of self-determination-based instructional strategies influence student motivation, fostering both academic achievement and social-emotional growth. Participants will discover practical, autonomy-supportive approaches that build competence, encourage engagement, and strengthen relationships—empowering educators to create classrooms where students thrive academically while developing essential life skills for long-term success.

Summary

This presentation examines how self-determination theory (SDT) can be applied in classrooms to strengthen both academic achievement and social-emotional skills. Grounded in the core SDT principles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the session highlights how teacher perceptions and intentional instructional strategies can significantly influence student motivation and engagement. Drawing from over a decade of mathematics teaching and current MTSS facilitation experience, the presenter will share real-world examples of how to design and implement practices that foster intrinsic motivation.

Participants will be introduced to practical, evidence-based strategies such as structured student choice, goal setting with progress monitoring, formative feedback that builds competence, and relational teaching approaches that cultivate a sense of belonging. The session will also model how to align these strategies within existing frameworks like MTSS, differentiated instruction, and collaborative planning to ensure scalability and sustainability.

Interactive discussion and sample activities will demonstrate how to integrate SDT-based practices into various content areas and grade levels. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use templates for lesson planning, student reflection tools, and observation checklists to assess the impact of motivation-focused strategies on learning outcomes.

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with a toolkit of adaptable approaches that not only improve academic performance but also strengthen resilience, self-regulation, and interpersonal skills—key components of lifelong success. This session offers a clear bridge between theory and classroom practice, ensuring every participant walks away with actionable methods to immediately enhance their instructional impact.

Evidence

Research and Evidence

Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by Deci and Ryan (1985; 2000), provides a well-documented framework for fostering student motivation through the fulfillment of three psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Research consistently shows that classrooms supporting these needs result in higher intrinsic motivation, improved academic performance, and enhanced social-emotional skills (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

Field studies indicate that autonomy-supportive teaching strategies—such as offering meaningful choices, providing rationale for learning activities, and giving feedback that promotes competence—lead to measurable gains in both engagement and achievement (Jang, Reeve, & Deci, 2010). When implemented within structured frameworks like Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), these practices have demonstrated success in increasing student persistence, self-regulation, and positive peer relationships (Reeve, 2016).

Additionally, meta-analyses confirm that integrating SEL with academic instruction significantly improves student outcomes across cognitive and emotional domains (Durlak et al., 2011). Aligning SDT with SEL allows teachers to strengthen both skill sets simultaneously.

The proposed session draws on 13 years of classroom mathematics instruction and current MTSS facilitation experience, ensuring strategies are field-tested in diverse educational settings. Participants will receive practical tools—including lesson templates, reflection prompts, and observation rubrics—that can be implemented immediately.

Reference

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self‐determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x

Jang, H., Reeve, J., & Deci, E. L. (2010). Engaging students in learning activities: It is not autonomy support or structure but autonomy support and structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 588–600. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019682

Reeve, J. (2016). Autonomy-supportive teaching: What it is, how to do it. In W. C. Liu, J. C. K. Wang, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Building autonomous learners (pp. 129–152). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-630-0_7

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.

Learning Objective 1

Apply self-determination theory principles—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—to design instructional strategies that foster both academic achievement and social-emotional growth.

Learning Objective 2

Analyze classroom scenarios to identify and adapt motivation-focused practices that increase student engagement and persistence.

Learning Objective 3

Create lesson plan elements, feedback tools, and reflection activities that integrate autonomy-supportive, competence-building, and relationship-enhancing approaches into daily instruction

Keyword Descriptors

self-determination theory, student motivation, instructional strategies, academic achievement, social-emotional learning, autonomy support, teacher perceptions, competence building, relatedness, MTSS

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-3-2026 1:00 PM

End Date

3-3-2026 2:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Walker, Dr. Summer M., "Self-Determination: Teacher Perception and Use of Instructional Strategies to Motivate" (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 52.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/52