מוטיבציה ללמידה בקרב אסירים: האם תמיכה בצרכים פסיכולוגים של אסירים במרכז החינוך מביאה למוטיבציה אוטונומית ללמידה והתמדה בה?

Based on the theoretical assumptions of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), we examined the relationship between inmates' experience of satisfaction of their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in Israeli prison educational centers and their motivation to persist in their learning program. Questionnaires were administered to 271 male inmates in sixteen prisons and detention centers across Israel. The results of a path analysis (Structural Equation Modeling--SEM) confirmed a "bright path of motivation" in which the inmates' experience of need satisfaction was positively associated with their persistence in learning. Inmates' autonomous motivation fully mediated this relation. Inmates' experience of frustration of their psychological needs was positively associated within mates' controlled motivation and a- motivation to learn but was not related to their persistence in learning. The discussion deals with the findings 'theoretical and practical implications to promote inmates' motivation and persistence in Israeli prisons.