õppeteest
Õppeteest is a term used in Estonian educational discourse to denote learning undertaken for the love of knowledge rather than for external rewards such as grades or credentials. The word appears to be a compound form built from õpe (education, learning) and a suffix that creates a noun describing a principle or attitude; its precise etymology is not fixed in standard dictionaries and varies in usage.
In practice, õppeteest is associated with intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and self-directed study. Proponents argue that learning
Critics point out that not all learning can be sustained solely by internal motivation, and that external
In Estonian pedagogy, references to õppeteest appear in debates about student engagement, curriculum development, and the
See also: intrinsic motivation; education philosophy; lifelong learning; Estonian terms sisemine motivatsioon and elukestev õpe.