Abstract

Student engagement is critical to establish knowledge during the learning process. The teaching content combined with mere instruction and student not at the centre produces learners who are passive followers without any feeling of involvement. Moreover, lack of autonomous institutional environment mars their self-esteem. Low connectedness means low satisfaction that gives way to ‘amotivation’ that is directly proportional to stunting performance. Reduced motivation and minimal participation of learners proves fatal to their sense of fulfilment. However, the positive environment supports successful transition of knowledge, values and beliefs and strengthens their psychological needs but creating conducive learning environment for promoting learners’ motivation is a big challenge for today’s educators when they have to stick to fixed theories and practices. Numerous theories show that learners feel motivated when teachers provide them autonomy and present their content in a way that soothes their psychological needs and keeps them engaging. With the motive to know the nature of learners’ attitudes concerning their engagement and to know the way to help them in the enhancement of internalization of the same for their knowledge enrichment, well-being and adjustment in life and with research question ‘Which ways should be adopted by educators in motivating students in Indian classrooms in a modern, challenging and dynamic world?’ I undertook ‘Deci & Ryan’s Self Determination Theory’ (SDT) with three components mainly competence, relatedness and autonomy. I used survey method with questionnaire and in-depth interviews with focus groups in this qualitative study so that results obtained from their views in their answers can be used to make institutional climate conducive to promote their outcomes; findings from the study would be beneficial for the future educators to keep them updated and be ready to perform their function accordingly.

Keywords: motivation, engagement, autonomy, internalization, self-esteem, competence