Session Outline

Self-determination theory (SDT) rose to prominence in the 1980’s and has since found application in many academic as well as professional fields related to personal growth and development. The theory as developed by Ryan and Deci (and subsequently developed further by other scholars) presents three basic psychological needs for experiencing wellbeing and fulfilment: the experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The emphasis here is on experiencing the fulfilment of these needs - being aware of one's autonomy, competence, and relatedness - as it is this awareness that is the basis for wellbeing and self-determination. Whether we 'are' autonomous, competent, and related to others is not the outcome of some kind of objective measurement. It is how we feel about these needs what determines the confidence we have in our ability to act and attain goals - and to enjoy doing what we do and the outcomes of our actions. Motivation, and how it may vary from person to person, plays a significant role in SDT.

SFT has been used as a framework for higher education research (e.g., on retention, engagement and completion), as well as a tool for the development of pedagogies and didactics. There is ample literature that provides examples of both. However, the application of SDT within the context of academic advising and personal tutoring seems much less developed. Advising is increasingly understood in terms of a learning process, that helps students develop agency and, indeed, self-determination, and many practitioners and authors will agree that academic advising does contribute significantly to the development of more autonomy, helps students develop a sense of competence and positively affects relatedness (or ‘belonging’). But how these broad and abstract concepts can serve as concrete outcomes of advising is not yet captured in models that systematically support the design of advising curricula or interventions, and practice, as well as the review and evaluation of these.

In this workshop, we will present a potential application of SDT in advising, related to the ‘academic advising continuum’ model developed by Grey and Van den Wijngaard. Based on the frameworks and findings in the general HE context, this tentative model explores ways of developing concrete outcomes and interventions that help attaining those outcomes, based on self-determination theory and a critical role for reflection and awareness.

During the workshop, delegates will review their own advising practice in the context of SDT, while at the same time contributing to the further development of a model for applying SDT to advising. In doing so, this workshop will be an exercise in taking a 'scholarly' stance towards the advising practice, taking theory as a starting point for professional reflection and creativity.

Learning Outcomes

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