The role of the teacher in the classroom, and whether they are more autonomy-supportive or controlling in their behaviors has a significant outcome on the learning experience of the students. Autonomy-supportive teaching style leads to greater learning and performance outcomes, and students show higher levels of intrinsic motivation and overall psychological well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2008).

Autonomous Support and Education 

Autonomy-supportive interactions have been shown to increase intrinsic motivation across many life domains, leading to increased overall psychological welling-being (Deci & Ryan, 2008). These areas include:

- School
- Home
- Workplace
- Clinical settings
- Fitness/health
- Friendships/romantic relations

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

SDT differentiates between autonomous motivation, comprised of intrinsic motivation and well-internalized extrinsic motivation, and controlled motivation, comprised of external motivation and introjected regulation. Environments that feel pressuring. or controlling will decrease intrinsic motivation, while those that are supportive and informational will enhance intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2008).

Automous and Controlled Motivation

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating Optimal Motivation and Psychological Well-Being Across Life's Domains

Facilitating Optimal Motivation and Psychological Well-Being Across Life's Domains (Deci & Ryan, 2008)

Autonomous support and Well-being Across Life Domains

The concept of internalization has shifted the focus of SDT from intrinsic/extrinsic motivation to autonomous versus controlled motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2008).  There are 3 main types of internalization:

- 1) Introjection
- 2) Identification
- 3) Integration

External and introjected regulations are forms of controlled motivation. By contrast, integration represents the type of internalization by which extrinsically-motivated behaviors can become truly autonomous, and so it can function similarly to intrinsic motivation.

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