Motivation and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Marcia Jensen

Abstract

Students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) experience disproportionately high rates of poor school outcomes. These dismal outcomes may be explained by low levels of achievement motivation. The purpose of this review is to examine the achievement motivation problems specific to serving students with EBD and to propose solutions based on self-determination theory (SDT). This review of published literature includes a description of SDT, comparisons of students with learning disabilities and EBD and their perceptions of motivational factors, a discussion of instructional methods for math and language arts, and a review of classroom management strategies indicated by SDT. Students with EBD tend to have more experiences of failure with appropriate self-regulation and autonomy. Hence, educational environments for this population should include high levels of teacher praise for self-regulation and supports for autonomy.

References

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