I don't read the authors as saying that intellectual need is the only way to motivate. Rather, they're saying that regardless of motivation, students are unlik

I don't read the authors as saying that intellectual need is the only way to motivate. Rather, they're saying that regardless of motivation, students are unlikely to learn certain concepts unless they directly experience the need for those concepts ("disequilibrium"). (Of course, it's possible to learn to solve a class of problems that "require" certain concepts without learning those concepts.) Where the MUSIC model addresses motivation, the DNR framework addresses what to do with that motivation. So they seem compatible to me. The teachers described in this article would certainly benefit from studying the MUSIC model. I winced a little at the teacher who said, "Well, you care if you want to get a good grade on your test."