Self-determination theory postulates that student motivation can be enhanced by supporting physical education students' basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Physical education teachers are in a unique position to motivate and help their students to achieve the best possible outcomes in physical education. First, this article…

Courses: Interpersonal Health Communication, Communication in Health Care Settings. Objectives: This lesson is designed for health profession students whose work will involve direct interaction with patients. It is designed to help students (a) better understand how to diagnose patients' needs for both informational and emotional support when…

This study examined the student experience (n=507) during emergency remote learning at a medium-sized private southeastern university during the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging the Social Presence Model (SPM) as a guiding framework. Tensions were high at this critical time as students were stressed with financial burdens, supply shortages,…

The decline in middle school students' motivation and engagement during young adolescence remains a concern for educators, administrators, and educational researchers. This article draws on the philosophies of providing the appropriate person-environment fit and meeting students' basic psychological needs to enhance teaching and learning. These…

A teacher's authority in a classroom is no longer assumed--it has to be earned. Without establishing a baseline of rapport and mutual respect, cultural misunderstandings between teachers and students can devolve into chaos. Gabriel Benn, hip-hop artist and former school teacher and administrator, shares real-life examples of how rapport can go…

The "Current Insights" feature is designed to introduce life science educators and researchers to current articles of interest in other social science and education journals. In this installment, I highlight three diverse research studies out of psychology journals that address student study strategies, faculty change, and the influence…

The relevance of the study is due to the importance of psychological and pedagogical support for students in university that would prevent difficulties in learning activities and increase adaptive capacity through the development of relevant personal traits. Therefore, this article is aimed at solving the problem of arranging psychological and…

This article begins with a 12-year-old girl's story that serves as an example of how "caring coaches" in the schools contribute greatly in helping schools become hopeful places for children. Helping students become more hopeful is rewarding for the students, teachers, school psychologists, counselors, parents, and other caring adults. Twenty years…

For many coaches, motivation comes in the form of a great pre-game speech that fires up the athletes and inspires them to victory. While a pep-talk may certainly aid in motivating a team, its merits are often relied upon too heavily regarding its efficacy. Despite the tremendous amount of research that has been conducted, motivation still appears…

This article presents a brief overview of empirical studies in school physical education (PE) that have employed self-determination theory (SDT) and, where relevant, proposes ideas for future research in this area. First, we review research on teachers' interpersonal style and its relation to students' motivation. Second, we discuss intervention…

Background: The motivation of physical education (PE) teachers has received precious little attention over the years. Self-determination theory (SDT) is a salient theoretical model for understanding motivation, and posits that self-determined motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation) stems from the perceived fulfillment of three psychological needs:…

Presents suggestions for helping children cope with the events of September 11, 2001, including: do more listening than talking; offer opportunities for expressing their feelings through stories, artwork, and play; be calm and optimistic about everyone's safety; and respect some children's self-protective position of being unaware of or…

Although lack of professional support is usually cited as one of the main reasons for the high attrition rate among new teachers, evidence shows that even when such support is available teachers continue to leave the profession. Meanwhile, it is the lack of attention to the personal needs of the novice teachers that leads to frustration and it is…

A technique that allows teachers to create their own reality in the classroom is described. It calls for teachers to define their own psychological boundaries within the classroom and to deliberately make positive choices in their interactions with students. (LB)

The classroom teacher often does not receive necessary positive reinforcement, which tends to lead to low self-esteem. Tips for helping the teacher become more self-aware and more self-confident are offered. (DF)