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Edition 116 · learning · Hu; Xiaoli

Motivation: Not a Perk, a Prerequisite.

Forget engagement fads. True learning hinges on autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This isn't soft science, it's core mechanics.

Motivation: Not a Perk, a Prerequisite.
FO Take · Score 85

Academic drivel about motivation misses the point entirely. If learning environments fail to foster autonomy, competence, and relatedness, they're not just inefficient; they're actively harmful. Education's purpose isn't to spoon-feed facts, but to ignite self-driven inquiry. Anything less produces compliant drones, not critical thinkers. What are we truly trying to achieve?

The strongest counter

While SDT offers insights, over-reliance risks ignoring external pressures and structural inequalities that profoundly impact educational access and outcomes. Motivation isn't always an internal switch.

Audit trail
  • ·SDT is key
  • ·Beyond engagement
  • ·True learning
  • ·Autonomy first
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