Students are much more motivated and engaged when given more control and freedom to be creative when learning. Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are highly important in fostering intrinsic motivation in school but also in a child's life outside of school. The effects that teachers have on students' intrinsic motivation can lead to outcomes like development of self-esteem, higher performance in grades/tasks, deeper conceptual understanding and processing, as well as improve class attendance and self-regulation (Reeve 2009). It is much easier to adopt a controlling motivating style as a teacher because it requires a lot less restraint and focusses on enforcing a power differential between the teacher and the students. It is also true that teachers are responsible and held accountable for the behavior of students and the outcomes, therefore it makes sense that most teachers would opt for this style. 

There is evidence that teachers who are "pressured to ensure that their students perform up to standards...taught in more controlling ways, using more directives, more criticisms, and fewer opportunities for the student input" (Reeves 2009). Another reason why teachers might adopt this kind of motivational style is because they associate control with structure. "Although structure tells students what they need to do, it is a teacher's motivating style that sets the tone as to how students make progress toward those objectives" (Reeves 2009). 

Teachers can adopt an autonomy-supportive approach if they, "(a) adopt the students' perspective; (b) welcome students' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; and (c) support students' motivational development and capacity for autonomous self-regulation" (Reeve 2009). This involves a good amount of nurturing students' inner motivational resources through enabling explanatory rationales, using informational language without the intent of pressuring specific thoughts/feelings, being patient and allowing for self-paced activities, as well as supporting autonomous self-regulation (Reeves 2009). It is important that teachers attempt to foster a relationship with students to understand the struggles and frustration they are experiencing. There is almost always an underlying issue that leads to outbursts and attention-seeking behavior from students. It is the teacher's duty to help students grow and develop their knowledge and understanding. That cannot happen if the student is disengaged, apathetic, or absent.

Practical Applications:

Fostering community within the classroom encourages relatedness, one of the main three psychological needs vital to intrinsic motivation. This can be done by doing group activities and/or projects. 

Encouraging competence and creativity in students is important in developing self-worth that can lead to increased satisfaction in school and in life.

Incorporating choice in activities, projects, etc. can reduce negative emotion, activate information processsing, and create autonomy.

(Reeve 2009)