Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement: The Role of Teacher Behaviors in Promoting Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement

Research has shown that students’ intrinsic motivation for school work is a more important contribution and predictor of academic achievement than extrinsic motivation. This study hypothesized that there are certain behaviors a teacher can do to promote intrinsic motivation in students. A quasi-experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis, with a teacher promoting intrinsic motivations to two seventh grade classes for a period of one academic quarter. The results indicate that teacher behaviors can influence intrinsic motivation, although students are greatly influenced by the greater school environment