Fueling the Mind: Self-Determination Theory and the End of Carrot-and-Stick Education

For over a century, the educational system has relied on a behavioral model designed for factory workers: if you want a student to do something, reward them with a good grade; if they fail, punish them with a bad one. Yet, studies consistently show that this "carrot-and-stick" approach systematically destroys a child's natural love for learning by the time they reach middle school.

Fueling the Mind champions the transformative power of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by psychologi...