Self-determination theory, developed by psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, outlines essential ingredients for fostering intrinsic human motivation, specifically in learning environments. The three key components are competence, relatedness, and autonomy, which help cultivate an engaging and effective learning experience. Implementing these principles can significantly enhance learner motivation and create a flourishing learning culture.

1. SELF-DETERMINATION
THEORY
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2. THE
THEORY
Self-Determination Theory is the brainchild of
psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci.
They identified the key ingredients needed for intrinsic
human motivation. It’s the secret sauce that helps
people enjoy exercise, motivates them to complete a
video game in record time and even fall in love with
learning!
Cultivating a sense of curiosity in the workplace is no
easy task. Luckily, Ryan & Deci’s model of self-
determination can be used to help you grow an army of
intrinsically motivated learners.

3. INGREDIENT #1
COMPETENCE
First, we need to give learners a sense of competence over the
subject area they’re tackling. We need to show them that they
are mastering the subject and gaining competence. This
means we need break the learning down into bite-sized
chunks and use levels and progress bars to facilitate the
experience.
By doing this, the learning feels more like a journey, and an
ongoing path of progression. As the learners gain
competence, we also need to reward, recognize, and praise
their efforts. These regular pats-on-the-back help build
confidence and positive associations around the learning
experience.

4. INGREDIENT #2
RELATEDNESS
Secondly, we need to facilitate relatedness. It’s not enough
to apply learning in an academic context. Your learners
need to relate the knowledge to their actual roles and jobs.
What’s more, learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and you
can’t afford to ignore the social aspect. You need to make
sure that your learners have plenty of opportunities to learn
together and share the journey.
Having the chance to discuss a subject, or just bounce ideas
around, shows learners the impact of their new knowledge
and how it relates to the world they work in.

5. INGREDIENT #3
AUTONOMY
This leads nicely to the final point, the need to give our
learners the autonomy to express themselves, give their own
perspective, and add depth to the topic. You need to
encourage your learners to build on the training, put their
stamp on it and make it their own.
When they turn into passionate advocates for the
knowledge, they’ll begin to coach it, mentor it and actively
push the learning to their peers. The great thing is, as soon
as one person shares their knowledge, it opens the
floodgates for everyone and ignites the spark of a true
learning culture.

6. THE
RESULTS
At Growth Engineering, we’ve seen first hand the difference a
little self-determination can make to a learning program.
Forcing your learners to do something they don’t want is a
battle you’ll never win.
The key is to create something they can’t resist, something that
shows them what it really means to love learning. Once you put
the control into your learners’ hands, they can help you take
your training program to heights you’d never even imagined!