A Self-determination Theory Perspective: How the ‘Drama in Education’ Can Boost Students’ Motivation of Learning

Abstract

Improving students' intrinsic learning motivation is a topic that educators pay close attention to and constantly explore in teaching methods. In particular, China's education environment has always adopted the rules of exam-oriented education, which means paying more attention to results, just as China's primary education used to. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of quality education, it is imperative to improve students' learning enthusiasm and explore more effective teaching methods. This article attempts to put forward a drama teaching method, which is educational drama, as an idea to provide some pedagogical reflections. At the same time, the paper will be based on the perspective of self-determination theory, looking for the theoretical support of educational drama in the direction of psychology. It will cross-check how educational drama as a pedagogical method can contribute to students' motivation through specific pedagogical methods and the psychological theories embedded in them.