Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Gabrielle Storuse
Abstract
Grounded in self-determination theory, this study explored students’ perceptions of provision of choice, teacher feedback, and emotional support, and how these teaching behaviors relate to intrinsic motivation and academic achievement. This study is a cross-sectional survey design and has data from 197 public high school students in the Bahamas. Path analysis was used to evaluate a model in which the three teaching behaviors predicted intrinsic motivation, which in turn was hypothesized to mediate their effects on academic achievement, measured by GPA, math grade, and students’ perceived likelihood of graduating. Results supported the model, indicating that higher levels of perceived teacher support in choice, feedback, and emotional support were associated with greater intrinsic motivation, which significantly predicted academic outcomes. Intrinsic motivation also partially mediated the relationship between teacher behaviors and academic achievement. These findings suggest that teachers’ instructional practices play a vital role in shaping student motivation and achievement outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by extending motivational research into a developing country context and highlights the importance of autonomy-supportive teaching in low-resource educational environments. Practical implications include training and support for teachers to implement strategies that enhance autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom to foster student engagement and academic success among high school students in the Bahamas.
Subject Categories
Education | Educational Psychology
Keywords
academic achievement emotional support intrinsic motivation provision of choice self-determination theory teacher feedback
Number of Pages
160
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Davis, David McHale, "Educational Trouble In Paradise: Student Perception of Teaching Behaviors and It's Relation to Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. 340.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/340