Reeve, Johnmarshall. (2012). A Self-determination Theory Perspective on Student Engagement. 
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_7. 

University of California, Berkeley

This is a chapter of a textbook ("Handbook of Research on Student Engagement") that describes the concept of student engagement, which is how involved a student is in their learning, and how it applies to self-determination theory. There are many different concepts discussed, ranging from different motivational theories to why student engagement is important in education. One of the main ideas that is worth looking into regarding SDT is the idea that the intrinsic motivation a student has can affect their learning environment positively so that it responds to the student to encourage these intrinsic motivations (teacher feedback, interesting learning assignments) which in turn increases student engagement so that they are actively involved and immersed in the class. It is a cyclical relationship that, if done positively, can lead to a better learning experience for teacher and students according to the principles of SDT.

A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Student Engagement

A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Student Engagement- Citation Reference

Student engagement is defined in the chapter of the handbook as the active involvement they take in their learning. It is aligned with self-determination because both the context in which the engagement takes place (the learning setting) and the motivation of the student matters. Student engagement can also:

- act as the main factor that allows the motivation of the student lead to academic achievement
- by having students be more active, like providing input about what is effective in the learning environment, the teacher can respond by providing greater autonomy for the student after listening to them (i.e. provide opportunities for students to ask questions and pursue their interests in class)
- allow for a change in motivation by encouraging students to lean more toward self-determination, taking steps to increase their autonomy, relatedness, and competence by being more active and getting a say in how they learn in class

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