"Regard Me": Learner Engagement and the Satisfaction of Basic Needs in Professional Development

• In Event: Learner Engagement, Assessment, and Experiences That Affect Teacher Practices in the Classroom

Abstract

Learner engagement and motivation are essential for deep and sustained learning, and yet they are seldom included in empirical frameworks for effective professional development. In this critical case study, I explore this gap by applying the lens of self-determination theory (SDT) to analyze a transformative professional learning experience. Noting the ways in which learner motivation and pedagogical strategies combine to satisfy the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness and to transform teaching practice, I offer theoretical and practical implications for the design and study of professional development.

Author

• James Noonan, Salem State University