Faculty-student relationships play a key role in student success and motivation, aligning with Self Determination Theory and its three components: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study draws on personal narratives from both students and faculty about experiences that have either motivated or demotivated them in the classroom. Thirty-two participants responded to four open-ended prompts on their perceived motivational and engagement supports in the classroom. Using convenience sampling, 21 undergraduates and 11 faculty members were recruited for a total of 32 participants.

Findings showed that the three needs of the theory were most effective when addressed together. The most prominent themes in the data suggest the following: faculty making an effort to take students’ perspectives and understand their experiences (autonomy) allows students to feel valued and empowered to do well and make continued efforts in the class (competence); while autonomy and competence support are both necessary, students do best when both needs are supported simultaneously; students feel more motivated when faculty show genuine care for their success (relatedness); and classes deemed "fun" are motivating for both students and faculty. 

These themes contribute to our understanding of academic motivation and how professor behavior can help and hinder student success. Education is, of course, not a one-size-fits-all activity, especially when it comes to higher education, but this study provides insight into determining what teaching methods are effective or ineffective.