ABSTRACT
One implication of self-determined learning theory is that when teachers improve students’ learning opportunities and adjustment capabilities, students self-engage to maximize learning. This is because according to the theory, favorable learning opportunities provoke engagement, persistent engagement optimizes adjustments, and optimized adjustments maximize learning. Each of the theory's four propositions describes a link in the chain leading to learning. The first proposition claims that the more valuable and doable the opportunity, the more likely is the regulation of expectations, choices, actions, and results to produce gain. The second claims that the more frequent these self-regulated behaviors, the more likely it is that adjustments will optimize as expectations become adaptable, choices become rational, actions efficient, and results become successful. The third claims that as adjustments optimize, learning maximizes. Therefore, the fourth proposition concludes, optimal opportunities maximize learning. From these propositions we deduced the instructional prescription that if teachers improve students’ opportunities and adjustments, students will maximize their learning.
