[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-600034-105":3,"doc-detail-600034-en":81,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":98},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","examining-and-improving-classroom-environments-through-the-lens-of-self-determination-theory","Examining and Improving Classroom Environments Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory","","Physical and social conditions in classrooms shape students’ health, attitudes, motivations, and overall well-being, with direct consequences for teachers, learners, and academic outcomes. Beyond built environment factors, the classroom atmosphere—largely driven by educators’ choices and attitudes—also plays a decisive role. This paper proposes using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to identify and address the most harmful environmental disparities. SDT frames basic needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and examines how settings support or undermine them to guide effective remediation strategies.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/examining-and-improving-classroom-environments-through-the-lens-of-self-determination-theory/600034/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/examining-and-improving-classroom-environments-through-the-lens-of-self-determination-theory/600034.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"nayy☆","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What problem does the paper address regarding classrooms?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It examines how differences in classroom physical conditions and social atmospheres contribute to the achievement gap for teachers and students.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the paper use Self-Determination Theory (SDT)?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It applies SDT as a lens to categorize detrimental classroom environmental disparities by focusing on how environments support or thwart autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What factors are described as drivers of unequal classroom environments?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The text highlights disparities in school funding, facilities, resource access, and the ability to recruit or retain highly qualified teachers, especially in low-income communities.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},600034,1792252291,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",{"doc_id":79,"user_id":84,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":85,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":86,"file_id":87,"file_url":88,"file_type":89,"file_size":90,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":91,"language":92,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":93,"faqs":94,"seo_title":95,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":96,"read_time":97},962090893153,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","| | Examining and Improving Classroom Environments Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory |\n| --- | --- |\n|  |  |\n\nAngela Ford, George Washington University  \nAbstract  \nPhysical built environment conditions affect occupants’ health, attitudes, motivations, and general well-being. The state of classrooms is no exception. Classroom conditions have direct effects on teachers and students and ultimately on academic outcomes. In addition to the physical condition of classrooms, the atmosphere of the environment, which is established mostly by the choices and attitudes of educators, has a profound influence on students. Classrooms differ vastly in both physical conditions and social atmospheres. The remedy for the physical differences has been discussed and debated for years, and can be summarized predominantly through equalizing funding. The purpose of this paper is to offer another angle of investigation on identifying and closing the environmental gap by focusing on the whole environment, not just the brick and mortar portion. The angle being proposed is that of using Self-determination theory (SDT)1 to equalize the environmental experiences of students. SDT is a macro theory of human motivation, development, and wellness.2 SDT studies social conditions, such as those created in classrooms, by examining how environments are either supporting or thwarting basic psychological needs. SDT defines the basic psychological needs as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. I propose that using the lens of SDT to study and categorize the most detrimental classroom environmental disparities will spark ideas to establish an effective plan to remediate those disparities.  \nKeywords: learning environments; classroom atmosphere; self-determination theory; equality; equity  \nIntroduction  \nEducators, researchers, and policy makers are continually examining methods to close the achievement gap and help more students succeed. I agree this is a noble goal and propose one effective avenue would be to identify methods and establish policies and procedures that work to reduce classroom environment disparities between and within schools. Classroom environments will always vary; however, the quality should not be so drastically different that an observer can immediately identify one environment as high quality and another environment as low. The intention behind this essay is to show through research that classroom environment conditions both  \n1. Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci, Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness (New York: Guilford Publications), 2017, 3.  \n2. Ibid.  \nphysical and those created by the school and classroom culture are contributing to the achievement gap and that even if the physical environment cannot be rebuilt, restructured, or repaired, educators can be made aware of the effects and receive professional development on how to use the methods of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to improve the environments in which they are working and teaching.  \nMany teachers and students find themselves in safe, clean, well maintained, and even attractive schools while many others are denied the same opportunity. The physical and climate related factors of classrooms, which are linked to student outcomes and which are known to be disparate, will be explored through the perspective of meeting the basic physical needs of safety and comfort, and the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as identified through SDT.3 For the purposes of this paper the definition of classroom environments will be the shared perceptions ofthe students and teachers.4  \nStudies abound about the different conditions and achievement levels of schools. Carter and Welner argue the achievement gap is linked to the opportunity gap, which includes the opportunity to learn in a clean safe school with adequate resources and opportunities for advancement.5 School funding disparities are at ","cbCaih76aRG0LPFz","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaih76aRG0LPFz","pdf",281012,13,"English","# Introduction\n## Research purpose and SDT framework\n## Classroom environment disparities and achievement gap","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the paper address regarding classrooms?\",\"answer\":\"It examines how differences in classroom physical conditions and social atmospheres contribute to the achievement gap for teachers and students.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the paper use Self-Determination Theory (SDT)?\",\"answer\":\"It applies SDT as a lens to categorize detrimental classroom environmental disparities by focusing on how environments support or thwart autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs.\"},{\"question\":\"What factors are described as drivers of unequal classroom environments?\",\"answer\":\"The text highlights disparities in school funding, facilities, resource access, and the ability to recruit or retain highly qualified teachers, especially in low-income communities.\"}]","Examining and Improving Classroom Environments Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory | PDF",1792089903,33,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":99},[100,104,108,111,116,121,126,130,135,138,142],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},70,"exam",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":118,"show_sort_weight":119,"slug":120},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":122,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":123,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":125},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":127,"show_sort_weight":128,"slug":129},"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":131,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":132,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":134},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":136,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":137},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":139,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":140,"show_sort_weight":139,"slug":141},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":143,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":144,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":145},19,"General","general"]