Autonomy-Supportive Teaching and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction among School Students: The Role of Mindfulness.
Chunxiao Li, Ying Hwa Kee, Leng Chee Kong, Liye Zou, Ka Lok Ng, Hong Li
Author Information
Chunxiao Li: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore. chunxiao.li@nie.edu.sg. ORCID
Ying Hwa Kee: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore. ORCID
Leng Chee Kong: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore.
Liye Zou: Lifestyle (Mind-Body Movement) Research Center, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China. ORCID
Ka Lok Ng: Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Hong Li: Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China. lihongszu@szu.edu.cn.
Grounded in self-determination theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between autonomy-supportive teaching, mindfulness, and basic psychological need satisfaction/frustration. Secondary school students ( = 390, age = 15) responded to a survey form measuring psychological constructs pertaining to the research purpose. A series of multiple regression analysis showed that autonomy-supportive teaching and mindfulness positively predicted need satisfaction and negatively predicted need frustration. In addition, the associations between autonomy-supportive teaching and need satisfaction/frustration were moderated by mindfulness. Students higher in mindfulness were more likely to feel need satisfaction and less likely to experience need frustration, even in a low autonomy-supportive teaching environment. These results speak to the relevance of creating autonomy-supportive teaching environments and highlight mindfulness as a potential pathway to basic psychological need satisfaction in educational settings.
