Although cognitive load theory research has studied factors associated with motivation, these literatures have primarily been developed in isolation from each other. In this contribution, we aimed to advance both fields by examining the effects of instructional strategies on learners’ experience of cognitive load, motivation, engagement, and achievement. Students (N = 1287) in years 7–10 in four Australian high schools completed survey measures of motivation, engagement, cognitive load, and their teachers’ perceived instructional strategies and motivating style. Results suggest that teachers’ load-reducing instructional strategies were related to lower cognitive load and were positively associated with relative autonomous motivation, engagement, and achievement. Teachers’ motivating styles characterized by autonomy support and structure were also associated with reduced extraneous and intrinsic cognitive load, as well as motivation and engagement. We conclude that by using load-reducing strategies and a motivating style characterized by structure and autonomy support, teachers can reduce students’ cognitive load and improve their self-regulated motivation, engagement, and achievement. In so doing, we discuss a number of future avenues for the joint study of self-determination theory and cognitive load theory, with the aim of refining and extending both perspectives.

尽管认知负荷理论研究研究了与动机相关的因素，但这些文献主要是相互独立发展的。在这篇文章中，我们旨在通过研究教学策略对学习者认知负荷、动机、参与度和成就体验的影响来推动这两个领域的发展。四所澳大利亚高中的 7-10 年级学生（N = 1287）完成了动机、参与度、认知负荷以及教师感知的教学策略和激励风格的调查测量。结果表明，教师减轻负荷的教学策略与较低的认知负荷有关，并且与相对自主动机、参与度和成就呈正相关。以自主支持和结构为特征的教师激励风格也与减少外在和内在认知负荷以及动机和参与有关。我们的结论是，通过使用减轻负荷的策略和以结构和自主支持为特征的激励方式，教师可以减轻学生的认知负荷，提高他们的自我调节动机、参与度和成就。在此过程中，我们讨论了自我决定理论和认知负荷理论联合研究的一些未来途径，旨在完善和扩展这两种观点。