Fewer students apply for and finish the teacher programs in Sweden, and manyteachers leave their job. Swedish schools are in need of more teachers, but theteaching profession is today portrayed as unattractive. This research aims toinvestigate what factors that motivate some students to become teachers and whatfactors that motivate some teachers, ESL teachers in first hand, to work as teachers,mainly in secondary schools in Malmoe. Three secondary teachers who teach ESL inMalmoe were interviewed and expressed their thoughts about the positive aspects ofthe teaching job, why they wanted to become and why they work as ESL teachers, andwhat goals they have in relation to their profession. The research showed that the ESLteachers teach because they feel passionate about the subject they teach and becausethey enjoy working with children and teenagers. They find the job fun and rewarding,and think that it is challenging, especially when working in a city like Malmoe. Itseems as teachers often put the pupils first and do not focus on external rewards, suchas salary. Teacher motivation has an impact on student motivation and it is thereforeimportant that teachers remain motivated within their profession.

Recent literature on parent-child sex communication (PCSC) has identified optimal sex communication as being not only frequent, but also open in quality, and proactive in timing. However, no studies have sought to understand what motivates parents to participate in this type of optimal parent-child sex communication, nor assessed these relationships longitudinally. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to inform the analysis, this study investigated parent characteristics (parent's sexual self-concept and parenting dimensions) that may longitudinally predict optimal PCSC. This study further examined whether parental sex communication efficacy mediated these relationships. The sample included 607 mother-child dyads, and the father-figure when available (mother-father-child triads (n = 363); mother-child dyads (n = 244)). Adolescent children were 12-17 years old (Wave 1 Mage = 14.55, SD = 1.68), White (56%), and cisgender female (51%). Data were collected annually for 3 years. A longitudinal SEM analysis was utilized. Results revealed that parental sex communication efficacy is longitudinally associated with children's reports of optimal sex communication. The discussion will focus on the importance of efficacy in improving parent-child sex communication processes.

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Studies have shown that increased student engagement is correlated with improved learning outcomes and overall positive results for students. While engagement can be viewed as a precursor to other outcomes, it should also be examined as an outcome itself. To increase student engagement and improve the learning experience for students, we must understand which factors can facilitate engagement and how educators can positively affect these factors. This research explored the influence of three proposed facilitators of engagement: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Self-determination theory, a theory of motivation, posits that these are three innate psychological needs that must be fulfilled to experience the highest level of motivation, for which engagement has been used as a proxy. In the format of a multiple-article dissertation, I present three articles. The first article reviewed the literature concerning self-determination theory and student engagement in both K-12 and higher education settings. It answered the following research question: What has been found regarding the influence of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on student engagement? The second article built upon findings from the first article and outlined the process to create and validate an instrument to measure autonomy, competence, relatedness with peers, relatedness with professors, and emotional engagement. Data were collected from university students through an online survey (n = 340). Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that survey items performed well and measured the intended constructs. Structural equation modeling was then used to identify the best fitting model for the data collected. Results showed that sense of competence had the largest predicted effect on emotional engagement. The third article employed the validated survey discussed in the second article. It was administered to students in an online higher education program (n = 3092). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted on the sample. Students sense of autonomy was found to have the greatest effect on emotional engagement.

Background: Participation in physical activities (PA) is vital for the well-being of children and young adults with disabilities, yet barriers hinder their engagement. With the United Nations reporting 150 million children with disabilities, understanding the self-determination theory (SDT) role in promoting PA participation is essential for improving their health and well-being. It aimed to explore how intervention based on SDT facilitates the possible determinants for PA participation in children and young adults with disabilities (CAYAWD). Methods: A systematic review approach was employed. Databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched for studies published between 2006 and 2022. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and the quality of the selected studies was assessed using relevant checklists from SBU, 2018. Data synthesis included intervention, description, participant characteristics, and quality evaluation. Results: This review analyzes seven studies on interventions for physical activity in CAYAWD based on SDT. Participants totalled 341 (mean age 12.6 years) with various conditions. Studies used motivational climates or basic psychological needs (BPN) in designing the interventions to enhance autonomous (intrinsic) motivation and improve needs satisfaction to increase PA. Significant effects included improved PA, need satisfaction and autonomous motivation. The measurement instruments had acceptable validity and internal consistency. Qualities of the included studies were moderate to high. The overall strength of the evidence was moderate.  Conclusion: It emphasized that intrinsic motivation and need-satisfaction act as possible determinants for participation in PA among CAYAWD. It provides valuable insights into the importance of motivational climates in PA settings. The limited number of studies urges the need for interventional studies based on SDT among CAYAWD.

Research pertaining to personality traits has largely focused on broad dimensions that define personality configurations, rather than on specific actions and behaviours that people engage in every day. While trait theorists hold the belief that individuals' personality traits predict their behaviours, there is no thorough conceptualization of behavioural manifestations of personality traits in the existing literature. The first goal of the present dissertation was therefore to conceptualize a model of behavioural manifestations of the Five Factor Model (FFM) traits. To achieve this goal, in the first article, a taxonomy of behavioural expressions of FFM traits was operationalized through the development of an instrument: the Behavioural Expressions of Traits Inventory (BETI). Results from Study 1 (N = 454) and Study 2 (N = 297) validated the proposed taxonomy by means of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final version of the BETI comprised 30 items (6 items/subscale) that presented a clean factor structure. Concurrent validity results revealed that the taxonomy of behavioural expressions could be distinguished from FFM traits. The BETI also displayed good construct validity, satisfactory internal consistency values of all subscales, and no issues with social desirability. The second goal of this dissertation was to use this conceptualization of behavioural expressions of traits advantageously to examine an important fundamental topic: the processes at play in the associations between FFM personality traits and motivation through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Results from emerging studies consistently revealed positive associations between beneficial FFM traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness) and autonomous motivation. Conversely, negative associations were obtained for neuroticism, a detrimental trait. The second article of this dissertation aimed to further our understanding of the associations between FFM traits and autonomous motivation by examining two potential mediators of this relationship: behavioural expressions of FFM traits and basic psychological need (BPN) satisfaction, a well-known antecedent of autonomous motivation. Two motivation domains central to the lives of undergraduate students were examined: academics and friendship. In Study 3 (N=635), undergraduate students completed online questionnaires. Structural equation modelling revealed a series of direct and indirect effects, as evaluated by Sobel's test of indirect effects: (1) FFM personality traits were positively associated with their corresponding behavioural expressions; (2) behavioural expressions of beneficial personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness) were positively associated with BPN satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), while neuroticism was negatively associated with BPN satisfaction; (3) BPN satisfaction was positively associated with (a) autonomous academic motivation and (b) autonomous friendship motivation; (4) behavioural expressions of personality traits mediated the relationships between their corresponding trait and BPN satisfaction; (5) BPN satisfaction mediated the relationships between behavioural expressions of personality traits and (a) autonomous academic, and (b) friendship motivation and (6) behavioural expressions of personality traits and BPN satisfaction acted as sequential mediators of the associations between personality traits and (a) autonomous academic, and (b) friendship motivation. The sequential action of behavioural expressions of traits and BPN satisfaction as processes that explain the relationship between FFM personality dimensions and autonomous motivation is a novel idea that was put to a successful empirical test herein. Taken together, this research contributes to further our understanding of the intricacies involved in the joint study of the FFM model of personality traits and motivation as conceived by SDT.

Personer födda mellan år 1996 och 2012 tillhör generation Z och det är den generation som nu ska inta arbetsmarknaden. Det är av stor vikt för arbetsgivare att förstå vilka faktorer som personer från generation Z motiveras av för att öka sina möjligheter att attrahera och behålla den nya generationen. Syftet med denna uppsats är därför att undersöka avgörande faktorer vid val av arbete kopplat till arbetsmotivation hos generation Z. Studien utredde även om skillnader mellan män och kvinnor förelåg. En enkätundersökning användes som forskningsmetod och data samlades in genom ett icke-slumpmässigt urval. Totalt deltog 156 kvinnor och 99 män från universitet/högskolor runt om i Sverige som studerar tredje året på ett treårigt ekonomprogram. Enkäten bestod till mestadels av slutna frågor, där huvudfrågan om faktorernas betydelse vid val av arbete skulle besvaras med hjälp av en likertskala. Undersökningen utgick från självbestämmande för att analysera arbetsmotivation utifrån inre och yttre faktorer. Resultatet visade att intressanta och roliga arbetsuppgifter, personlig utveckling och förbättring samt hög lön var de motivationsfaktorer som har störst betydelse för generation Z vid val av arbete. Resultatet visade även att det fanns en skillnad i hur män och kvinnor resonerar kring inre och yttre motivation. En slutsats som kunde dras är att de inre motivationsfaktorerna väger tyngre än de yttre för generation Z. Uppsatsens språk är svenska. / People born between the years 1996 and 2012 belong to generation Z and it is the generation that will now occupy the labor market. It is of great importance for employers to understand what factors motivate people from Generation Z in order to increase their chances of attracting and retaining the new generation. The purpose of this essay is to examine crucial factors in job selection related to work motivation among Generation Z. The study also investigated whether there were differences between men and women. A survey was used as the research method, and data was collected through a non-random sampling. A total of 156 women and 99 men from universities/colleges across Sweden, who were in their third year of a three-year economics program, participated. The survey mostly consisted of closed-ended questions, where the main question about the importance of factors in job selection was to be answered using a Likert scale. The study focused on self-determination to analyze work motivation based on internal and external factors. The results showed that interesting and enjoyable tasks, personal development and improvement, and high salary were the motivational factors that held the greatest significance for Generation Z in job selection. The results also indicated a difference in how men and women reason about internal and external motivation. One conclusion that could be drawn is that the internal motivational factors carry more weight than the external ones for Generation Z. The language of the essay is Swedish.

The police force has shown itself to be a workplace that often suffers from burnout syndrome. In turn, this leads to a reduced desire to work among the employees and it can even go as far as voluntary termination. Previous research describes that praise has a good effect on employee’s motivation towards work, which is an important factor of success within organizations. People can find themselves motivated in different ways. One may feel motivated due to a form of self-interest while another may feel motivated due to some type of external pressure and compulsion. How praise in turn affects different types of motivation within the police is however unexplored. The purpose of the thesis is therefore to investigate how verbal rewards in the form of praise from chiefs can affect police officers' work motivation. To answer the purpose of the essay, a qualitative interview study was conducted on police officers. The choice of police officers in external service was based on the fact that it is an occupational group who circulate out in society and face many different types of challenges and stressful efforts daily at work. Therefore, it was seen as particularly interesting to study whether their work motivation is affected by praise. The focus of the study has been to investigate how police officers receive praise, in which way they prefer to receive praise and finally how praise affects their work motivation. Eleven police officers on external duty have been interviewed. The study shows that the effect of praise from the chief of police on the police's work motivation varies. During our thesis, we highlight four different types of motivation, which we then investigate whether praise from the manager has an effect on or not. Worth mentioning is that the majority of police officers do not see praise as the primary focus in their work. Many police officers see themselves getting driven by their own goals and not least by the society for which they work. However, the study shows that praise tends to influence their various motivations to a certain extent. / Poliskåren har visat sig vara en arbetsplats som ofta drabbas av utmattningssyndrom. I sin tur leder detta till minskad arbetslust hos de anställda och det kan till och med gå så långt som till frivillig uppsägning. Tidigare forskning beskriver att beröm har en god påverkan på arbetsmotivation hos medarbetare och arbetsmotivation är en viktig framgångsfaktor inom organisationer. Människor kan i sin tur uppleva sig motiverade på olika sätt. En individ kan känna motivation på grund av ett eget intresse medan en annan kan känna motivation på grund av någon typ av externt tvång. Hur beröm i sin tur påverkar olika motivationstyper inom polisen är emellertid outforskat. Syftet med uppsatsen är därav att undersöka hur verbala belöningar i form av beröm från chefen påverkar polisers arbetsmotivation. För att besvara syftet med arbetet har vi genomfört en kvalitativ intervjustudie på poliser. Valet föll på poliser i yttre tjänst då det är en yrkesgrupp som dagligen rör sig ute i samhället och stöter på många olika typer av utmaningar och påfrestande arbetsinsatser. På grund av det sågs det extra intressant att studera huruvida deras arbetsmotivation påverkas av beröm. Fokus i studien har varit att undersöka hur poliser får beröm, hur beröm påverkar deras arbetsmotivation och på vilket sätt de själva föredrar att få beröm på. Sammantaget har elva poliser i yttre tjänst intervjuats. Studien visar att hur beröm från chefen påverkar polisens arbetsmotivation varierar. I arbetet lyfter vi fyra olika motivationstyper som vi sedan undersöker huruvida beröm från chefen påverkar eller inte. Värt att nämna är att majoriteten av poliserna inte ser beröm som det primära i deras arbete. Många ser sig själv drivas av sina egna mål och inte minst samhället som de arbetar för. Däremot visar undersökningen att beröm tenderar att påverka deras olika motivationer i viss mån.

Titel: Är det någon som bryr sig? - En studie av hur autonomi, kompetens och tillhörighet påverkar motivation och arbetsprestation hos högskolelärare och yrkesidrottstränare   Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi   Författare: Jakob Sanfridsson och Lina Tollsten   Handledare: Monika Wallmon   Datum: 2024, januari   Syfte: Att undersöka och analysera motivationsfaktorer hos högskolelärare och yrkesidrottstränare, utifrån självbestämmandeteorin. Genom att identifiera likheter och skillnader i motivationsdrivkrafter för dessa två grupper, ämnar studien bidra till en djupare förståelse av hur olika faktorer påverkar motivationen inom olika yrkesområden.   Metod: Blandad metodansats, kombinerande både kvalitativa och kvantitativa tekniker, med tyngd i den kvalitativa delen. Kvantitativ del i form av en enkätundersökning, för undersökning av autonom och kontrollerad motivation. Kvalitativ del i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer utifrån Basic Psychological Needs Theory och de tre temana autonomi, kompetens och tillhörighet.    Resultat och slutsats: Visar att hög tillfredsställelse av de tre grundläggande psykologiska behoven autonomi, kompetens, och tillhörighet, där tillhörighet visar sig ha en särskild betydelse för dessa yrkesgrupper, är starkt korrelerade med hög nivå av autonom motivation hos både lärare och tränare. Studien framhäver att skräddarsydda strategier för att tillgodose dessa motivationsbehov är avgörande för att främja arbetsprestation och nöjdhet inom dessa yrkesgrupper. Vikten av att beakta de unika aspekterna av olika arbetsroller i motivationsstrategier betonas för att effektivt stärka motivation och engagemang.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Bidrar praktiskt genom att ge riktlinjer för skolledningar och idrottsstyrelser om hur de kan arbeta med sina anställda för att bibehålla motivation. Teoretiskt bidrar det till en djupare förståelse av självbestämmandeteorin genom att utforska hur dess grundläggande psykologiska behov påverkar motivation hos dessa yrkesgrupper.    Förslag till fortsatta studier: Forskningen skulle gagnas av att undersöka andra psykologiska behov utöver de som självbestämmandeteorin fokuserar på, för att få en bredare förståelse av motivationsprocesser i arbetslivet.   Nyckelord: Självbestämmandeteorin, autonomi, kompetens, tillhörighet, ledarskap, motivation / Title: Does anyone care? - A study on how autonomy, competence and relatedness impact motivation and job performance among university lecturers and professional sports coaches.    Level: Student Thesis, Final Assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration   Authors: Jakob Sanfridsson and Lina Tollsten   Supervisor: Monika Wallmon   Date: 2024, January   Aim: To investigate and analyse motivational factors among university lecturers and professional sports coaches, based on the self-determination theory. By identifying similarities and differences in the motivational drivers for these two groups, the study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how various factors affect motivation within different professional fields.   Method: Mixed method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques, with an emphasis on the qualitative part. Quantitative part in the form of a survey to examine autonomous and controlled motivation. Qualitative part consisting of semi-structured interviews based on the Basic Psychological Needs Theory and the three themes of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.   Results and conclusions: Shows that high satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness, where relatedness proves to have a particular significance for these professional groups, is strongly correlated with a high level of autonomous motivation in both teachers and coaches. The study highlights the importance of tailored strategies to meet these motivational needs to enhance work performance and satisfaction in these professional groups. It emphasizes the importance of considering the unique aspects of different work roles in motivation strategies to effectively strengthen motivation and engagement.   Contribution of the thesis: Provides practical guidelines for school leaders and sports boards on how to work with their employees to maintain motivation. Theoretically, it contributes to a deeper understanding of Self-determination theory by exploring how its basic psychological needs affect motivation in these professions. The study underscores the importance of tailored strategies to meet specific motivational needs, which can improve work performance and satisfaction.   Suggestions for future studies: The research would benefit from exploring other psychological needs beyond those focused on by Self-determination theory, to gain a broader understanding of motivational processes in the workplace.   Keyword: Self-determination theory, Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, Leadership, Motivation

Abstract:In the dynamic landscape of contemporary organizations, the complex interplay between motivation and employee performance creates a complex tapestry that shapes the path of success. Scholars recognize the important role of motivation in driving and promoting employee performance, yet a comprehensive understanding of the complex ways in which these values are embedded within the organization is lacking. There has been some research on the relationship between employee performance and motivation. The definition of motivation and two well-known theories of motivation are covered in this essay. A comprehensive examination of the literature is done to investigate the connection between motivation factors and employee performance. It has been discovered that employees' dedication to their work is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors. The study explores the impact of motivation factors in organizational performance. A quantitative study based on Sweden Stockholm. Our findings show that motivation factors contribute significantly to employee performance and effectiveness. The quantitative method includes administering a wide range survey with employees working in Stockholm, Sweden to collect data on their motivation level and its impact on overall employee performance.