Neufeld Adam
Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Clin Teach. 2025 Aug;22(4):e70140. doi: 10.1111/tct.70140.
Self-determination theory (SDT) is a well-established framework that identifies three basic psychological needs-autonomy, competence and relatedness-as essential for motivation, engagement and well-being. Despite increasing recognition of SDT's relevance in medical education, educators lack practical tools to translate theory into daily teaching practice. This paper addresses that gap by offering a concise, evidence-informed table of actionable strategies for educators to support learners' psychological needs in routine interactions. Targeted at clinical teachers and program leaders, the tool is designed to guide real-time application of SDT principles, fostering learning environments where motivation and thriving can take root. A key feature of the tool is its inclusion of specific, example language that educators can use to support autonomy, competence and relatedness in everyday clinical interactions. In addition, I present a single-page visual summary (Figure 1) that brings together the highest-yield SDT strategies in a concise, accessible reference. This diagram serves as a practical checkpoint and reminder for educators to align their daily interactions with SDT principles.
自我决定理论（SDT）是一个成熟的框架，它确定了三种基本心理需求——自主性、能力和关联性——对于动机、参与度和幸福感至关重要。尽管人们越来越认识到自我决定理论在医学教育中的相关性，但教育工作者缺乏将理论转化为日常教学实践的实用工具。本文通过为教育工作者提供一个简洁的、基于证据的可操作策略表来填补这一空白，以便在日常互动中支持学习者的心理需求。该工具针对临床教师和项目负责人，旨在指导自我决定理论原则的实时应用，营造能够让动机和蓬勃发展得以生根的学习环境。该工具的一个关键特性是包含了具体的示例语言，教育工作者可以在日常临床互动中使用这些语言来支持自主性、能力和关联性。此外，我还展示了一个单页视觉摘要（图1），它将最高效的自我决定理论策略汇总在一个简洁、易懂的参考资料中。这张图表为教育工作者提供了一个实用的检查点和提醒，促使他们使日常互动与自我决定理论原则保持一致。
