This ongoing research attempts to get insights on the Arab pre-service teachers' motivation to learn from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, and shed light on what is happening within the confines of the Arab colleges and mixed colleges - pedagogically and socially. The theoretical model consists of two levels: a. a micro level in which the effect of each of the following variables on students' autonomous and controlled motivation was examined in each college type separately: socio-demographic characteristics, Hebrew fluency, students' choices of college type and Special Education Department (CCSE), autonomy support, relatedness, competence, program evaluation and attitudes toward teaching, and b. a macro level in which the effect of the college type on the relationship between all the above variables and the two types of motivation was examined. The present paper combines both the micro and macro-levels in order to provide a thorough analysis the determinants of students' motivation and examine issues that have not received enough attention. For this purpose, quantitative approach was used. Finally, the present study's intermediate results could assist in designing effective policy guidelines to the pedagogical supervisors and policy makers.