National data on student disengagement show a pervasive trend that currently makes this phenomenon one of the biggest challenges faced by teachers worldwide. Much research on student disengagement examines the problem through an indirect framework in which deficiencies in positive social conditions or psychological states are tested as predictors…

A within-person perspective with several measurement points per individual allows to analyse relations between variables within individuals. Such an approach is still scarce in research from a self-determination theory perspective. Therefore, this study measured basic psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation in real-time and at…

Student dropout in higher education is a challenge for higher education systems. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on analyzing motivational aspects in order to counteract dropout. However, the detailed impact mechanisms and processes of motivation on dropout have not been sufficiently researched. For example, there is very…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected student well-being through measures such as closing educational institutions and social distancing, which forced universities to adapt the student learning environment. Previous research has demonstrated that the learning environment influences student well-being by satisfying their basic psychological needs of…

Students' adaptive motivation to study tends to decrease over time. However, the reasons for this decline are not fully understood. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we investigated whether changes in teachers' motivating style and students' associated need-based experiences could explain the motivational decline documented in the…

Freshman year is a major life event in emerging adulthood requiring adaptation that is associated with self-determination processes, like academic motivation and basic psychological needs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the way that academic motivation and the satisfaction and frustration of the basic psychological needs are interrelated…

Students, who are trying to complete academic activities in an educational environment, are objected to academic stress. Research results indicated that this stress can be reduced by the individual and psychosocial resources of them. So, this study aimed to determine the mediating role of grit and academic self-efficacy in the relationship between…

According to the self-determination theory, autonomy-supportive teaching is considered an effective approach to motivate students to learn. The present study investigates the effect of students' perceived autonomy support on math achievement over time, i.e. from grades 4 to 6, using a longitudinal survey administered in Chinese elementary schools.…

Students' emotional and behavioral difficulties are recognized as a continuing issue in the adolescent development and education. Since adolescents spend a great amount of time in schools, a central question is how schools can facilitate adolescents' adjustment and positive schooling. Using the ERG theory of human needs, the present study aims to…

Much research has been done into the relationship between students' motivation to learn and their basic psychological needs as defined by the self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness). However, few studies have explored how these psychological needs relate to different types of maladaptive behavior in the classroom. To prevent…

The present study investigates whether productive classroom discourse in the form of instructional and motivational classroom discourse (Turner et al., "Journal of Educational Psychology" 94: 88-106, 2002) provides a supportive social context for students that fosters the fulfilment of the basic psychological needs of autonomy and…

This study sought to investigate the predictive relationship that dimensions of attachment shared with an array of indicators of psychosocial well-being and mental health in a sample of students making the transition to higher education. One hundred and thirty-one students completed the Vulnerable Attachment Styles Questionnaire (VASQ) prior to…

The self-determination theory (SDT) assumes that healthy motivation needs to be intrinsic in nature and that the basic psychological needs competence, autonomy and relatedness are prerequisites for intrinsically motivated behaviour. Intrinsically motivated students in turn show more persistence and understanding of classroom material. However, in…