AUTONOMY SUPPORT AS AN INTERPERSONAL MOTIVATING STYLE - IS IT TEACHABLE

Students benefit when teachers support their autonomy. Recognizing thi s, the present study examined the motivating styles of beginning prese rvice teachers by asking two questions: (1) Do personality characteris tics orient preservice teachers toward either an autonomy-supportive o r controlling motivating style? and (2) Is the autonomy-supportive sty le teachable to preservice teachers? Study 1, which addressed the firs t question, relied on self-determination theory to identify and confir m causality orientation as one personality characteristic related to m otivating style. Study 2, which addressed the second question, randoml y assigned preservice teachers to receive training in either autonomy- supportive, controlling, or neutral instructional strategies. Results showed that the autonomy-supportive style was teachable. Autonomy-orie nted preservice teachers las measured by causality orientation) assimi lated the information rather easily, while control-oriented preservice teachers accommodated the information only in proportion to the exten t that they perceived it to be highly plausible and classroom applicab le. The discussion relies on self-determination theory and the concept ual change literature to recommend how teacher certification programs can assist teachers-in-training develop an autonomy-supportive motivat ing style. (C) 1998 Academic Press.