The role of parents in facilitating autonomous self-regulation for education

Self-determination theory identifies three dimensions of parenting — autonomy support versus control, involvement, and structure — as facilitating children's autonomous motivation in school. Research involving children of a range of ages — one-year-olds through adolescents — and from a variety of research labs supports this theory. This work is reviewed, as is research on characteristics of children and parents and their external surrounds that facilitate and undermine parenting that is conducive to children's autonomous motivation. Research suggests bidirectional and dynamic influences among context, parenting, and children's motivation.