Controlling teaching strategies: Undermining children's self-determination and performance.

Abstract

The present study examined the hypothesis that students would show performance impairment when they were exposed to teachers who were pressured to maximize student performance level and who used controlling strategies. For this purpose, 4th-grade teachers and their students participated in a field experiment in which teachers either were pressured to maximize student performance or were told simply to help their students learn. In addition, the teaching sessions were videotaped to assess teachers' use of controlling strategies, as rated by blind coders. Following the teaching sessions, student performance on tasks initially taught by teachers as well as on a generalization task was assessed by blind experimenters. As predicted, the data indicated that students evidenced performance impairment during the subsequent testing session only when they were exposed to pressured teachers using controlling strategies. The results are discussed within the context of self-determination theory.

Cites (11)

1. A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality.
   Dweck, Carol S., Leggett, Ellen L. · 1988 · Psychological Review
2. The support of autonomy and the control of behavior.
   Deci, Edward L., Ryan, Richard M. · 1987 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
3. Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory.
   Ryan, Richard M. · 1982 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
4. Learned helplessness: Theory and evidence
   Maier, Steven F., Seligman, Martin E. · 1976 · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
5. Autonomy in children's learning: An experimental and individual difference investigation.
   Grolnick, Wendy S., Ryan, Richard M. · 1987 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
6. Setting limits on children's behavior: The differential effects of controlling vs. informational styles on intrinsic motivation and creativity
   Koestner, Richard, Ryan, Richard M., Bernieri, Frank, Holt, Kathleen · 1984 · Journal of Personality
7. The hidden costs of rewards
   Deci, Edward L. · 1976 · Organizational Dynamics
8. Informational versus Controlling Verbal Rewards
   Pittman, Thane S., Davey, Margaret E., Alafat, Kimberly A., Wetherill, Kathryn V., Kramer, Nancy A. · 1980 · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
9. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations: Reward-induced changes in preference for complexity.
   Pittman, Thane S., Emery, Jolee, Boggiano, Ann K. · 1982 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
10. Reward, distraction, and the overjustification effect.
    Smith, Timothy W., Pittman, Thane S. · 1978 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Show all 11 references

Cited by (33)

1. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being.
   Ryan, Richard M., Deci, Edward L. · 2000 · American Psychologist
2. Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation
   Schunk, Dale H. · 1991 · Educational Psychologist
3. Motivation and Education: The Self-Determination Perspective
   Deci, Edward L., Vallerand, Robert J., Pelletier, Luc G., Ryan, Richard M. · 1991 · Educational Psychologist
4. Why Teachers Adopt a Controlling Motivating Style Toward Students and How They Can Become More Autonomy Supportive
   REEVE, JOHNMARSHALL · 2009 · Educational Psychologist
5. What teachers say and do to support students' autonomy during a learning activity.
   Reeve, Johnmarshall, Jang, Hyungshim · 2006 · Journal of Educational Psychology

See all 313