Kendall Kerew (Georgia State; Google Scholar), Using Technology to Promote Well-Being and Foster Professional Identity Formation in the 1L Classroom, 20 U. St. Thomas L.J. ___ (2024): 

Critical components of professional identity are associated with self-determination theory.  While all three of the basic psychological needs contribute to well-being, autonomy is considered the most important.  Moreover, when student autonomy is supported, “by giving them (1) as much choice as possible, (2) a meaningful rationale to explain decisions, and (3) a sense that authorities are aware of and care about their point of view,” it leads to “(1) higher self-determined career motivation; (2) higher well-being; and (3) higher academic performance.”  

For the past three years, I have incorporated two simple online tools to address student well-being in my Contracts classroom: a minute of meditation and a quick retrospective board soliciting responses to three questions. While my focus was informed by the connection of professional identity formation and well-being, it was only after I started using the online tools that I realized that both tools help to address the three basic psychological needs defined by self-determination theory.

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