Updating the self-determination minitheories in second language learning: Systematic review and future directions
Abstract
Self-determination theory (SDT) is recognized as one of the most influential motivational theories within second language learning and beyond. Its explanatory power for language education stems from the rigorous approach taken by researchers to verify and validate instruments with appropriate triangulation and effective statistical approaches. SDT is comprised of mini-theories which are used to develop the propositions and hypotheses necessary for scientific inquiry. These six mini-theories, titled organismic integration theory, cognitive evaluation theory, basic psychological needs theory, goal contents theory, causality orientations theory, and relationships motivation theory, form the backbone of SDT research and instrumentation. After providing an up-to-date theoretical review these mini-theories based on the latest research and commentary (Ryan, 2023), we present the results of a systematic review of empirical second language research into self-determination theory over a 30-year period (k = 111). Our analysis of studies in this report pool showed that some mini-theories were well-represented in language education, while others remain underrepresented or absent from the literature. We also examined this report pool to note trends in research design, operationalization, measurement, and application of self-determination theory constructs. Based on our results, we highlight directions for future research in relation to theory and practice, with previews of ongoing projects around the world aimed at addressing the lacunae.
In China, English language education has been a priority. Researchers have studied high school students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, guided by self-determination theory. In contrast, much of the relevant research in China has focused on learning English motivation among university students; more attention needs to be paid to high school students. Therefore, this paper examined the factors influencing high school students' motivation to learn English and how teachers can improve their students' motivation. The study invited four participants to conduct semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative research data. Results from the qualitative analysis indicated that most high school students had positive perceptions of English as a foreign language (EFL) but were still demotivation. The research identified eight factors influencing students' English learning: perseverance, personality, learning ability, interest in learning, teachers, parents, environment and peers. The perseverance factor was new and needed to be addressed in previous studies. Finally, two recommendations for teachers and students are presented to motivate and sustain learners' motivation to learn English.
Self-determination theory is one of the most established motivational theories both within second language learning and beyond. This theory has generated several mini-theories, namely: organismic integration theory, cognitive evaluation theory, basic psychological needs theory, goal contents theory, causality orientations theory, and relationships motivation theory. After providing an up-to-date account of these mini-theories, we present the results of a systematic review of empirical second language research into self-determination theory over a 30-year period (k = 111). Our analysis of studies in this report pool showed that some mini-theories were well-represented while others were underrepresented or absent from the literature. We also examined this report pool to note trends in research design, operationalization, measurement, and application of self-determination theory constructs. Based on our results, we highlight directions for future research in relation to theory and practice.
This study examined an integrated process model of second language motivation based on the framework of self-determination theory (SDT). Specifically, this research investigated the extent to which satisfying basic psychological needs (BPN) are related to SDT orientations and, in turn, to the effort expended and how these factors relate collectively to vocabulary knowledge. Revised scales assessing students’ BPN (the Basic Psychological Needs of Second Language Scale) and SDT orientations (the Self-Determination Theory of Second Language Scale) were considered and tested using a higher-order confirmatory factor analysis solution. The results of the structural model showed that BPN were only directly related to vocabulary knowledge, which indicated their direct importance for the attainment of the vocabulary. No other indirect effects through SDT orientations or effort were identified. Nonetheless, SDT orientations were both directly and indirectly linked to vocabulary knowledge over and above the role of expended effort. The results elucidated motivational pathways that yielded pedagogical implications for language learning.
At the turn of the new millennium, in an article published in Language Teaching Research in 2000, Dörnyei and Kormos proposed that ‘active learner engagement is a key concern’ for all instructed language learning. Since then, language engagement research has increased exponentially. In this article, we present a systematic review of 20 years of language engagement research. To ensure robust coverage, we searched 21 major journals on second language acquisition (SLA) and applied linguistics and identified 112 reports satisfying our inclusion criteria. The results of our analysis of these reports highlighted the adoption of heterogeneous methods and conceptual frameworks in the language engagement literature, as well as indicating a need to refine the definitions and operationalizations of engagement in both quantitative and qualitative research. Based on these findings, we attempted to clarify some lingering ambiguity around fundamental definitions, and to more clearly delineate the scope and target of language engagement research. We also discuss future avenues to further advance understanding of the nature, mechanisms, and outcomes resulting from engagement in language learning.
Flipped learning has become a popular approach in various educational fields, including second language teaching. In this approach, the conventional educational process is reversed so that learners do their homework and prepare the material before going to class. Class time is then devoted to practice, discussion, and higher-order thinking tasks in order to consolidate learning. In this article, we meta-analysed 56 language learning reports involving 61 unique samples and 4,220 participants. Our results showed that flipped classrooms outperformed traditional classrooms, g = 0.99, 95% CI (0.81, 1.17), z = 10.90, p < .001. However, this effect had high heterogeneity (about 86%), while applying the Trim and Fill method for publication bias made it shrink to g = 0.58, 95% CI (0.37, 0.78). Moderator analysis also showed that reports published in non-SSCI-indexed journals tended to find larger effects compared to indexed ones, conference proceedings, and university theses. The effect of flipped learning did not seem to vary by age, but it did vary by proficiency level in that the higher proficiency the higher the effects. Flipped learning also had a clear and substantial effect on most language outcomes. In contrast, whether the intervention used videos and whether the platform was interactive did not turn out to be significant moderators. Meta-regression showed that longer interventions resulted in only a slight reduction in the effectiveness of this approach. We discuss the implications of these findings and recommend that future research moves beyond asking whether flipped learning is effective to when and how its effectiveness is maximized.
Numerous theorists have offered opinions about motivational differences between learning a new language and other school subjects. At the same time, little empirical evidence for the differences has been brought forward. In this study, we aimed to address these motivational differences and similarities between learning a new (foreign) language and learning one's own language in formal school settings using the framework of self- determination theory. Rather than comparing variable level differences, we investigated a representative sample of Japanese secondary school students (n = 830) to demonstrate person-centered differences using latent profile analysis. Results indicated the sample was divided into five theoretically consistent subgroups, with similar patterns of motivation and achievement across language domains. Roughly 55% of the sample fit into the same subgroups for each subject, indicating that the majority of students' motivation for learning a language was similar across the two school subjects.
This report presents a review of the statistical practices of 30 journals representative of the second language field. A review of 150 articles showed a number of prevalent statistical violations including incomplete reporting of reliability, validity, non-significant results, effect sizes, and assumption checks as well as making inferences from descriptive statistics and failing to correct for multiple comparisons. Scopus citation analysis metrics and whether a journal is SSCI-indexed were predictors of journal statistical quality. No clear evidence was obtained to favor the newly introduced CiteScore over SNIP or SJR. Implications of the results are discussed.
The data for this study were collected in my first year of graduate school for a term paper for a course I was taking from Luc Pelletier. When I began graduate school, Luc also started at the University of Ottawa as a new faculty member, and he taught a course in motivation. I had worked with Richard Clément for a couple of years already as an honors student and as a research assistant and had conducted research on orientations and motivation under his supervision as part of my honors thesis project. Luc was very interested in self‐determination theory (SDT) and had worked with Bob Vallerand on an instrument to assess academic motivation from this perspective. Luc and I decided to carry out a study on language learning orientations using SDT and enlisted Richard's and Bob's involvement in the project. As a bilingual institution where all students were required to demonstrate competence in their second language (L2), whether French or English, the University of Ottawa was an ideal setting for this type of research.
The project was a first examination of SDT in the language learning context, and to the best of my knowledge it was the only, or at least one of the very few, empirical investigations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the area. It involved the development of a valid and reliable instrument to assess the different subtypes of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It also explored the link between these motivational subtypes and various orientations to language learning that had been identified by Clément and Kruidenier (1983) , including the travel, friendship, knowledge, and instrumental orientations. The results showed that the instrumental orientation and the SDT external regulation orientation were strongly correlated, and that the travel, friendship, and knowledge orientations were quite highly intercorrelated with identified regulation and intrinsic motivation. Moreover, the instrumental and external regulation orientation scales correlated in similar ways with the hypothesized antecedents of perceived autonomy and competence and the hypothesized consequences of intention to pursue L2 study and anxiety. In addition, the travel, friendship, and knowledge orientations were correlated with the hypothesized antecedents and consequences in a manner similar to intrinsic motivation and identified regulation. These results suggested that Clément and Kruidenier's 4 orientations may be tapping a similar construct as the SDT orientations. My only regret with this study is that I did not include a scale to measure the integrative orientation ( Gardner, 1985 ) to determine its relation with the SDT subtypes. This issue would have to wait until a later study to be addressed.
The results of this initial investigation encouraged me to pursue research integrating SDT with other theoretical frameworks of language learning motivation. I believe that the SDT framework has several advantages over some other formulations of learner orientations. SDT offers a parsimonious, internally consistent framework for systematically describing many different orientations in a comprehensive manner. It also offers considerable explanatory power for understanding why certain orientations are better predictors of relevant language learning variables (e.g., effort, persistence, attitudes) than others. Also, by invoking the psychological mechanisms of perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, it can account for why certain orientations are evident in some learners and not in others. Moreover, the framework is empirically testable and indeed has stood up well under empirical scrutiny in our studies. Its clear predictions may also be particularly valuable in applying the theory in language teaching and program development. [The present article first appeared in Language Learning, 50 (1), 2000, 57–85]
This study used the bibliometric method to examine the field of second language acquisition (SLA) between 1997 and 2018 to provide a systematic overview of the field and to discover major trends in SLA. Based on citation/cocitation information and keywords retrieved from Web of Science, this study performed three types of bibliometric analyses to identify the prominent scholarly documents, authors, research institutions, geographic regions, and research topics that have been highly influential in the field of SLA over the last two decades. The scientific network maps and the keyword analysis revealed a number of significant changes as well as new trends in the field.
The Oxford Handbook of Self-Determination Theory
- R M Ryan
Ryan, R. M. (2023). The Oxford Handbook of Self-Determination Theory. Oxford.
Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness
- R M Ryan
- E L Deci
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publishing.