Abstract & Slides of Talk

Self determination theory informs both the practice of teaching and the content matter of psychology at multiple levels and in many courses. In this talk, I will share my expertise and experience of (1) teaching SDT in a personality theories course, a research-based personality course, and as a part of a patient compliance unit within a graduate physical therapy program, and (2) teaching to support students’ autonomy in the classroom and in the psychology major. First, I will offer suggestions of discussion topics and key experiments that may be readily incorporated into various courses to pique students’ interest. Next, I will present a case study of how we teach an autonomy-based senior capstone course in the psychology major at a small liberal arts college. I will end with practical suggestions for how to teach SDT, including active learning exercises, suggested readings, and more.

A PDF of the slides from the talk is available here.