Self-determination theory

INTRODUCTION: The Red Crescent Society (RCS), as a non-profit organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, engages in relief, humanitarian and public benefit activities, which are influenced by the nature of volunteerism. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and rank the career motivation of two groups of athletes and non-athletes volunteers of the IRCS. METHODS: In this applied survey, data were collected based on Self-Determination Theory framework through a standard questionnaire with stratified random sampling. Due to the Coronavirus situation in the country, questionnaires were sent online to 30,000 young members of the RCS Youth Organization throughout the country which 2815 questionnaires were answered. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods and SPSS-26 software. FINDINGS: According to the findings, the career motivation components of the volunteers in the non-athlete group in order of prioritization are as follows: extrinsic (identified regulation), intrinsic; external (introjected regulation, integrated regulation and externalized regulation) and in the athlete group in order of prioritization is such as: intrinsic motivation; extrinsic (identified regulation); external (introjected regulation, integrated regulation and externalized regulation). CONCLUSION: According to the results, it can be stated that there is a significant difference in the ranking of voluntary career motivation components between athletes and non-athletes volunteer members of the RCS. On this basis, the RCS must have a proper understanding of the difference in the motivational components of people of different age, cultural, gender, etc., in order to improve the level of its social capital.

Learner autonomy as both an individual as well as a social concept is considered to be a vital element in language learning. Moreover, enhancing learner autonomy has been a main concern among language learning scholars. Because of this primacy, this study in two phases, first sought to examine the desirability and feasibility of learner autonomy from teachers' perspective, and then sought to study the effectiveness of training on enhancing teachers' autonomy-supportive behaviors. Seventy-two Iranian EFL teachers' views were collected via an autonomy questionnaire developed by Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012). The results indicated that the teachers conceived autonomy to be more desirable than feasible. They considered autonomy as an ideal optional rather than an accessible purpose. Furthermore, classroom observations indicated that training in workshops that were based on self-determination theory (SDT) enhanced teachers' autonomy-supportive behaviors. Trained teachers outperformed untrained teachers in almost all criteria in the ASBI checklist. The study has implications for EFL teachers and teacher educators. The contribution SDT can have on autonomy enhancement indicates its significance and potential to be accentuated in instructional programs as well as pre-service and in-service training sessions.

The integration of AI in educational contexts has been a heated debate among scholars. Despite the important role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in foreign language education, exploring English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ voices regarding their motivation to use AI in foreign language education has received scant attention. Therefore, this study explores the motivational factors influencing the adoption of AI in foreign language teaching through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews from six EFL teachers in the context of Saudi Arabia. The study identified several key sub-themes within the broader motivational factors of relatedness, autonomy, and competence from the SDT framework. Regarding competence, participants emphasized the role of AI in enhancing their ability to deliver personalized instruction and manage their classrooms more efficiently. For relatedness, the sub-theme of mutual support and community building emerged as crucial, highlighting the importance of collaboration between teachers and students in AI adoption. In the context of autonomy, self-initiated professional development was prominent, reflecting teachers’ active efforts to stay updated on AI technologies. Teachers felt that mastering AI tools not only improved their competence but also enabled them to adapt AI-based solutions to meet students' individual needs. However, they also noted the challenge of ensuring that AI tools complement rather than replace critical pedagogical skills, highlighting the need to maintain a balance between using AI for efficiency and preserving essential human elements like creativity and critical thinking.